Question
Why would we see a golf ball flying through the air before we hear the noise of the golf club hitting the ball?
because light and sound travel at the same speed through air
because sound travels slower through air compared to light
because sound travels faster through air compared to light
because only light must travel through matter to be seen
because light and sound travel at the same speed through air
because sound travels slower through air compared to light
because sound travels faster through air compared to light
because only light must travel through matter to be seen
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is: **because sound travels slower through air compared to light.**
Light travels at a speed of approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (about 186,282 miles per second) in a vacuum (and slightly slower in air), while sound travels at about 343 meters per second (about 1,125 feet per second) in air at room temperature. This significant difference in speed means that we see the golf ball flying through the air almost instantly, while the sound of the club hitting the ball takes longer to reach us.
Light travels at a speed of approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (about 186,282 miles per second) in a vacuum (and slightly slower in air), while sound travels at about 343 meters per second (about 1,125 feet per second) in air at room temperature. This significant difference in speed means that we see the golf ball flying through the air almost instantly, while the sound of the club hitting the ball takes longer to reach us.