You can tell that a sound wave has passed through a particle because it has moved. This is not true for light waves.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider what the statement is saying about how we detect a wave's passage through a medium.
Option 1: True. The claim that a sound wave moving through a particle causes that particle to move is accurate, since sound is a mechanical wave that propagates via oscillations of particles in the medium. By observing these displacements, one can infer that a sound wave has passed. The second part, that this same particle- displacement-based detection is not applicable to light waves, is also correct in the usual sense. Light is an electromagnetic wave that propagates through oscillating electric and magnetic fields, and its passage is not detected by noticing substantial bulk motion of particles in the medium; most particles barely move due to the wave itself. Therefore, the overall statement aligns with the physical distinction between sound (mechanical waves in a medium) and light (electromagnetic waves in space or through media).
Option 2: False. This would imply that neither sound nor light ever causes detectable particle movement, or that the detection method via particle motion applies equally to light, which contradicts the established understanding of how these waves propagate. Since we do observe particle movement accompanying a sound wave and we generally do not observe bulk particle motion due to light, this option is incorrect.
In summary, the statement correctly describes the classic difference: sound involves particle displacement in a medium, while light typically does not cause measurable bulk motion of particles in the same way.

My LMS Subjects Topic 1 Self test

You can tell that a sound wave has passed through a particle because it has moved. This is not true for light waves.

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My LMS Subjects Topic 1 Self test

You can tell that a sound wave has passed through a particle because it has moved. This is not true for light waves.

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

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