A ringing alarm clock is put under a glass jar. The air is slowly removed from the space around it. What will happen as the air is removed?
As the air is removed, the sound of the alarm clock will become quieter and quieter until it can no longer be heard. This is because sound waves need air molecules to travel through in order to be heard. Without air molecules, the sound waves cannot travel and the sound of the alarm clock will be muffled.
Well, as the air is slowly removed from the space, the alarm clock might start feeling a little lonely. It might even think, "Hey, where did everybody go?" But rest assured, the clock will continue doing what it does best – ringing! So, in the absence of air, you might have a silent alarm clock, but that doesn't mean it will stop trying to grab our attention. It's a determined little device!
As the air is slowly removed from the space around the ringing alarm clock under the glass jar, the following steps will occur:
1. Initially, the alarm clock will continue to ring normally as it is unaffected by the surrounding air.
2. As the air pressure inside the jar decreases, the sound produced by the alarm clock will become quieter. This is because sound waves require a medium, such as air, to travel. With reduced air particles to transmit sound, the volume of the alarm clock will decrease.
3. As the air pressure around the alarm clock decreases further, the sound may eventually become inaudible. The absence of air molecules to carry sound waves will prevent the alarm clock from producing a noticeable sound.
4. It's important to note that the specific effects can vary depending on the sealing of the jar, the amount of air removed, and the volume of the alarm clock. In some cases, the sound may still be audible, albeit faintly, as a minimal amount of air may still remain in the jar.
5. Additionally, changes in air pressure may affect the vibration of the alarm clock's internal components, potentially leading to minor alterations in the sound produced. However, the primary factor determining the audibility of the alarm clock will be the absence of air molecules to transport sound waves.
As the air is slowly removed from the space around the ringing alarm clock that is under a glass jar, several things will happen:
1. Decreased Sound: As the air is removed, the jar will create a sealed environment with lower air pressure. Sound waves need a medium, such as air, to travel through. With the decreasing air pressure inside the jar, the sound waves produced by the alarm clock will have less air molecules to propagate through, resulting in a decrease in sound intensity.
2. Altered Pitch: Since sound waves travel differently in lower air pressure environments, the pitch or frequency of the alarm clock's ringing may also change. The pitch is determined by the frequency of the sound waves, which is the number of oscillations per second. As the sound waves encounter fewer air molecules in low-pressure conditions, their frequency may be affected, resulting in a perceived change in pitch.
3. Eventual Silence: As the air is continuously removed from the space around the alarm clock, eventually the jar will become a near vacuum devoid of air molecules. In such a nearly airless environment, sound cannot propagate at all, resulting in complete silence. This means the alarm clock's ringing sound will cease to be heard.
It's worth noting that achieving a near vacuum state can be challenging as there will always be residual air or gases present. Additionally, the alarm clock may stop ringing before the air is completely removed due to the depletion of its energy source, such as battery power or winding mechanism.