Asked by l.

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?

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.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
"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."

Electromagnetic waves (light) travel through vacuum, so you can see the bell vibrating. Sound is a mechanical (pressure) wave that requires a material medium (air, solids, liquids) to transmit vibrations; in the vacuum jar there are no air molecules to carry the pressure waves, so you can't hear the bell.