Question
During a thunderstorm, you see a flash of lightning across the sky. Five seconds later, you hear the thunder. If lightning and thunder come from the same source, then why don't they occur at the same time? They do! The time difference is due to how sound and light waves travel. Light travels extremely fast through the air, 300,000,000 m/s. Sound travels much slower, 343 m/s through the air. Therefore, we can see light instantly, but it takes a while to hear thunder. The speed of light and sound waves depends on the medium they travel. Take a look at the data in the image above.
How do the speeds of sound and light waves compare? (Choose 3)
Responses
A Light waves cannot travel through a dense material like a solid.Light waves cannot travel through a dense material like a solid.
B Sound waves travel fastest through a dense medium like the solid ground.Sound waves travel fastest through a dense medium like the solid ground.
C Light waves can travel through a vacuum; sound waves cannot.Light waves can travel through a vacuum; sound waves cannot.
D The speeds of light and sound are affected in the same way in different mediums.The speeds of light and sound are affected in the same way in different mediums.
E The denser the medium, the faster sound travels.
How do the speeds of sound and light waves compare? (Choose 3)
Responses
A Light waves cannot travel through a dense material like a solid.Light waves cannot travel through a dense material like a solid.
B Sound waves travel fastest through a dense medium like the solid ground.Sound waves travel fastest through a dense medium like the solid ground.
C Light waves can travel through a vacuum; sound waves cannot.Light waves can travel through a vacuum; sound waves cannot.
D The speeds of light and sound are affected in the same way in different mediums.The speeds of light and sound are affected in the same way in different mediums.
E The denser the medium, the faster sound travels.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Based on the information provided and the properties of sound and light waves, the correct comparisons regarding their speeds are:
C. Light waves can travel through a vacuum; sound waves cannot.
E. The denser the medium, the faster sound travels.
B. Sound waves travel fastest through a dense medium like the solid ground.
So, the three comparisons you could choose are B, C, and E.
C. Light waves can travel through a vacuum; sound waves cannot.
E. The denser the medium, the faster sound travels.
B. Sound waves travel fastest through a dense medium like the solid ground.
So, the three comparisons you could choose are B, C, and E.