A student is conducting an experiment to test the perception of cell phone sounds and vibrations in a glass jar. The student has the phone settings set to vibrate AND ring when a text message is sent to the phone. The student sets up three different experiments, described in the table here. The ability to hear the phone ding and the ability to feel the glass jar vibrate were measured. Which conclusion can be drawn from the interpretation of the data?

Question

Responses
A Sound can be heard in all cases but vibrations only occur through the air.Sound can be heard in all cases but vibrations only occur through the air.
B The phone was unable to receive text message signals when placed in a jar.The phone was unable to receive text message signals when placed in a jar.
C Vibrations can occur through the glass jar but sound cannot be heard in a vacuum.Vibrations can occur through the glass jar but sound cannot be heard in a vacuum.
D The loose cap allows the metal from the lid to vibrate against the jar to transmit sounds from the cell phone.

Answer 1

Based on the information provided, the most logical conclusion that could be drawn from the interpretation of the data is:

C. Vibrations can occur through the glass jar but sound cannot be heard in a vacuum.

This conclusion acknowledges that natural vibrations can travel through solid mediums like glass, while sound, which travels through air waves, cannot propagate in a vacuum where there is no air to transmit those sound waves. The answer does not assume any malfunction of the phone or hinge on its ability to receive signals, making it the most plausible option based on concepts of sound and vibration transmission.