The difference between sound waves and light waves is that sound waves

Assessment: JAMB UTME - Physics - 1995 Subject: Physics

Question 1 Report

The difference between sound waves and light waves is that sound waves
Answer Details
The difference between sound waves and light waves is that sound waves require a medium to travel while light waves do not. Sound waves are mechanical waves that travel by compressing and expanding the medium they are passing through, such as air or water. In contrast, light waves are electromagnetic waves that can travel through a vacuum, like space, as they do not need a medium to propagate. While sound waves are longitudinal waves, meaning the particles of the medium move parallel to the direction of the wave, light waves are transverse waves, meaning the particles oscillate perpendicular to the direction of the wave. This is not the main difference between the two, as both types of waves can be diffracted and light waves can be reflected, while sound waves cannot.

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