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How does the speed of sound waves compare with the speed of light waves?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
The speed of sound is at about 344 m/s and the speed of light is at about 3 X 108 m/s. If you would like to test it out, wait for a thunderstorm. The lightning and the thunder start at the same place while the lightning is faster. That will demonstrate the speed difference of light and sound.
Light takes 8 1/2 minutes to reach us from the Sun.
The speed of sound varies with the relative motion of the observer but the speed of light is constant regardless of the relative speed. See Einstein's special theory of relativity.
The speed of light is roughly 882 thousand times the speed of sound.
-- Sound takes about 4.7 seconds to cover 1 mile.
-- Light takes about 0.0000054 second to cover 1 mile.
-- In the time it takes sound to travel one mile, light travels 881,741 miles .
During a thunderstorm, you see the lightning before you hear the thunder,
even though they're caused by the same event.
Another clue to an easy answer: Nothing is faster than the speed of light.
Sound crawls.
Sound speed is about 700 mph. (about 1/5th of a mile per second)
Light speed is about 186,000 mps.
Light goes about 930,000 times quicker.
If someone claps their hands 250 feet away, light can go 8½ times round the world while you wait to hear it.
Speed of light is a lot faster...the speed of light goes 299,792,458 meters per sec and the speed of sound goes 343.2
meters per sec
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agothe speed of light is massively faster than the speed of sound. think about when you see lightning off in the distance, first you see the light, then a few seconds later you here the sound. Light travels at 300,000,000 meters/second, sound on the other hand travels at 340 meters/second, thus light is almost a million times faster than sound
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Another contributor added:
Putting a finer point on it, the ratio is more like 882,350 times as fast. (still rounded, but closer)
Wiki User
∙ 12y agolight is faster than the space shuttle but sound isn't. that's why you hear a sonic boom. Also you usually see lightning before you hear thunder.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoLight travels @ 186,000 mps (670 616 629 mph (5.9trillion miles/year- which is a light year)) or 300,000 kps and sound travels @ 768 mph or 1,236 kph.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
The speed of sound at sea level is about 0.00000144 of the speed of light in vacuum.
(Using 343 m/s and 299,792,458 m/s.)
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoNever heard, that light makes any sound.
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What is faster then sound waves?
speed of light
Differences between light and sound waves?
The differences between light and sound are as follows:Light can be considered to be made of waves as well as particles. Sound is only a wave. It does not show particle nature.Light waves are electromagnetic waves while sound waves are mechanical waves.Light waves are transverse while sound waves are longitudinal.Light waves can travel in vacuum. Sound waves require a material medium to travel, and hence, cannot travel in vacuum.The speed of light in a medium is constant. The velocity of sound waves can change.In sound waves, the particles of the medium actually oscillate. In a light wave, the electric and magnetic vectors oscillate.Light waves can be polarized, but sound waves cannot.Light waves travel much faster than sound waves. The speed of light is a physical constant. Its value is exactly 299,792,458 metres per second in vacuuum. The speed of sound is 343 metres per second in dry air at 20°C.And finally, a simple one - you can see light while you can hear sound.
What does the speed of sound measure?
sound waves
Light and sound waves have many similar properties however light waves are what while sound waves are what?
Light waves are eletromagnetic waves and sound waves are mechanical waves. Additionally, a light wave is a transverse wave that does not require a medium through which to travel. Sound waves, on the other hand, are longitudinal waves where the source transfers the mechanical energy of the sound wave into the medium so it can travel.
How do different materials affect light and sound waves?
Light slows as it enters material with a higher density whereas sound waves speed up in materials of higher density. Light bends towards the "normal" as it passes from a less dense medium to a higher density medium ie air into glass. Both sound and light can be reflected from surfaces.
How does light waves compare with sound waves?
Light waves are electromagnetic waves that move at the speed of light. Sound waves are compression waves that move through a medium (air, liquids, solids), with varying speeds according to the medium.
Which travels at a greater speed light waves or sound waves?
Light Waves.
Why speed of light is greater than speed of sound?
The speed of light is the speed at which electromagnetic waves propagate through a medium. The speed of sound is the speed at which acoustic waves propagate through a medium. As the speed of sound relies on the medium moreso than the speed of light, sound propagates much slower than light.
What is faster then sound waves?
speed of light
How do sound waves during a sonic boom compare with sound waves traveling at a slower speed?
wat does this even mean??
Do radio waves travel at the speed of light at the speed of sound or something in between?
speed of light
How does the speed of light compare to the speed of radio waves?
light travels faster than radio wavws
Do radio waves travel at the speed of sound at the speed of light or at some speed in between?
'Radio' waves are physically and electrically identical to light waves except for their frequency (wavelength), and they travel at the same speed as light does.
Which is fastest sound or light waves?
-- In vacuum, the speed of sound is zero, so you can't compare them there.-- In air at sea level, the speed of light is about 874 thousand times the speed of sound.
Differences between light and sound waves?
The differences between light and sound are as follows:Light can be considered to be made of waves as well as particles. Sound is only a wave. It does not show particle nature.Light waves are electromagnetic waves while sound waves are mechanical waves.Light waves are transverse while sound waves are longitudinal.Light waves can travel in vacuum. Sound waves require a material medium to travel, and hence, cannot travel in vacuum.The speed of light in a medium is constant. The velocity of sound waves can change.In sound waves, the particles of the medium actually oscillate. In a light wave, the electric and magnetic vectors oscillate.Light waves can be polarized, but sound waves cannot.Light waves travel much faster than sound waves. The speed of light is a physical constant. Its value is exactly 299,792,458 metres per second in vacuuum. The speed of sound is 343 metres per second in dry air at 20°C.And finally, a simple one - you can see light while you can hear sound.
How are light and sound different?
Different is the speed of propagation. Scroll down to related links and look at "Acoustic or sound waves in air - Radio and light waves in a vacuum".
What is the difference between light and sound?
The differences between light and sound are as follows:Light can be considered to be made of waves as well as particles. Sound is only a wave. It does not show particle nature.Light waves are electromagnetic waves while sound waves are mechanical waves.Light waves are transverse while sound waves are longitudinal.Light waves can travel in vacuum. Sound waves require a material medium to travel, and hence, cannot travel in vacuum.The speed of light in a medium is constant. The velocity of sound waves can change.In sound waves, the particles of the medium actually oscillate. In a light wave, the electric and magnetic vectors oscillate.Light waves can be polarized, but sound waves cannot.Light waves travel much faster than sound waves. The speed of light is a physical constant. Its value is exactly 299,792,458 metres per second in vacuuum. The speed of sound is 343 metres per second in dry air at 20°C.And finally, a simple one - you can see light while you can hear sound.
