In an experiment, a ringing bell is placed in a vacuum jar that does not have any air in it. What best describes why the bell is seen vibrating but not heard?

Question

Light waves have high frequencies and are able to pass through the vacuum jar, but the frequencies of sound waves are too low to vibrate a vacuum.
Light waves travel faster than sound waves, so they are able to travel through the vacuum jar, but sound waves do not have enough energy to vibrate glass.
Light does not need a medium to travel through, but since sound waves must have a medium to vibrate, sound is not created where no air is present.
Light is a longitudinal wave that is able to pass through the vacuum jar, but sound is a transverse wave that has to move perpendicular to air.

Answer 1

The statement that best describes why the bell is seen vibrating but not heard is:

Light does not need a medium to travel through, but since sound waves must have a medium to vibrate, sound is not created where no air is present.

This statement captures the essence of the phenomenon: sound waves are mechanical waves that require a medium (like air, water, or solid materials) to propagate, whereas light waves are electromagnetic waves that can travel through a vacuum. Hence, even though the bell is vibrating, the absence of air in the vacuum jar means there are no sound waves produced that can travel to our ears.