Lightning and thunder are generated from a storm cloud at the same time, generating light waves and sound waves. A person a few miles away sees the lightning a few seconds before they hear the thunder. Since the person sees the lightning before hearing the thunder, light waves moved faster from the storm cloud to the person through the air. Why?
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light waves move faster through air than sound waves because the air is a vacuum
light waves move faster through air than sound waves because the air is more dense than a vacuum
light waves move between the particles of the air while sound waves move from one particle to the next, since air is a gas the particles are spread out allowing light to move faster than sound
light waves are mechanical waves and require a medium and air is a medium
light waves move between the particles of the air while sound waves move from one particle to the next, since air is a gas the particles are spread out allowing light to move faster than sound.
The correct answer is: "light waves move between the particles of the air while sound waves move from one particle to the next, since air is a gas, the particles are spread out allowing light to move faster than sound." Light waves are electromagnetic waves that can travel through a vacuum or a medium, such as air. They move by transferring energy through oscillating electric and magnetic fields. On the other hand, sound waves are mechanical waves that require a medium to travel through, like air. Sound waves transfer energy by causing the particles of the medium to vibrate and propagate the disturbance from one particle to the next. Since air is a gas and its particles are more spread out compared to a solid or liquid medium, light waves can travel faster through the air than sound waves.
The correct answer is:
"Light waves move between the particles of the air while sound waves move from one particle to the next, since air is a gas the particles are spread out allowing light to move faster than sound."
Light waves are electromagnetic waves, meaning they do not require a medium to travel through. They can travel through a vacuum, such as outer space, or through a medium like air or water. Since air is a gas, its particles are spread out, allowing light waves to easily move between the particles, resulting in faster propagation.
On the other hand, sound waves are mechanical waves, meaning they require a medium, such as air, to travel through. Sound waves transfer energy by causing particles in the medium to vibrate in a series of compressions and rarefactions. The speed of sound is determined by the density and elasticity of the medium it travels through. In this case, the air particles are more closely packed compared to a vacuum, causing sound waves to propagate more slowly than light waves.
Therefore, when a lightning bolt occurs, the light waves travel through the air and reach the person's eyes almost instantaneously, while the sound waves take some time to travel through the air and reach the person's ears, causing the delayed perception of thunder.