MCQ Detailed View

Waves are disturbances that transfer energy from one place to another. They can be broadly classified into mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves based on how they propagate. Understanding how waves travel through different mediums is an essential concept in physics.

Mechanical waves require a medium such as air, water, or solid materials to travel. Examples include sound waves, seismic waves, and water waves. These waves transfer energy by vibrating the particles of the medium. Since a vacuum has no particles, mechanical waves cannot propagate through a vacuum. Therefore, sound waves cannot travel through space or a vacuum.

Electromagnetic waves, on the other hand, do not need a medium. They include light, radio waves, X-rays, and other forms of radiation. Electromagnetic waves consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that can propagate even through the empty space of a vacuum. This is why sunlight, radio signals from satellites, and other forms of radiation can reach Earth through space.

In this MCQ, the correct answer is Sound because it is a mechanical wave that requires a medium. Light and other radiation types are electromagnetic waves, which can travel through a vacuum without needing air or any material medium.

Understanding the difference between mechanical and electromagnetic waves helps explain many everyday phenomena. For example, the reason we can see the Sun’s light but cannot hear sounds from space is due to this property. This concept is also fundamental in fields like astronomy, communication, and physics experiments involving vacuum conditions.