Science Quiz

Southie · November 5, 2015, 2:11am

Re: Science Quiz

Think of it like this: if you grab your bedsheets in both hands and whip it up and down, you’ll see a wave travel down the length of the sheet. Same thing with a rope, or a rock dropped in water that sends ripples in the form of waves all around its circumference. The wave will move to the end of the sheet and cease to exist because there is nothing more to disrupt. These are disruption waves; meaning the wave itself is not composed of any distinct particle; the wave forms by a disruption at its origin. The force causing the disruption is you holding the sheet/rope or the rock which falls in water. This is how sound works, by disrupting air molecules, and human ears have a mechanism to sense the disruption of sound on a limited scale. Dogs can sense a greater deal of disruptions. Bats and dolphins are extremely proficient in sensing even the slightest disruption.

Light on the hand, which also travels in waves, actually consists of a distinct particle (the photon). It travels in waves innately and not by disruption, meaning it does not need any other particles to propogate on. So, sound originating on the sun will cease to travel further when it’s atmosphere is finished, but it’s light continues on.

The last sentence was with regards to some experiments they did to find out if sound waves can propogate on a wave of light, i.e. by disrupting the photons. Apparently, it is possible.

Thank you for taking the time to provide such a nice explanation that even I could understand!