When do you hear?

Classical Mechanics Level 1

An astronaut in outer space sees a meteor collide with a satellite 27,000,000 meters away, resulting in a spectacular explosion. If the speed of sound in air is 300 meters per second, how long will it take for the astronaut to be able to hear the explosion?

450,000 seconds. 90,000 seconds. 9,000,000 seconds At the instant of the explosion. 6,000 seconds. He won't be able to hear it.

5 solutions

Rishabh Kumar
Jan 10, 2015

Sound can not travel through vaccum, so you will never be able to hear that sound.

The problem with this solution is space is not a perfect vacuum. Yes in a vacuum sound would not be able to travel due to there being nothing to propagate the wave in, but there are things capable of propagating sound waves in space. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2003/09sep_blackholesounds/ An example of such is shown in this NASA article of a black hole sending a sound wave across several light years. To accurately provide an answer to this question, it needs more context that is not given. For instance the nature of the explosion being "spectacular" does not communicate what frequency/wavelength of sound wave will be produced. "You are an astronaut out in space." Does not communicate whether or not there is a sufficient enough medium to generate a sound wave at a specific frequency/wavelength. To summarize, the rationale in your answer is based off of assumptions you make about the question, in which there is nothing in the question to support those assumptions, rendering your rationale flawed. This question is insufficient leaving indefinite answers.

matt mcc - 6 years, 4 months ago

If sound can not travel in vacuum,then how can you tell the speed of sound in vacuum.Did you done any experiment to calculate the speed of sound in vacuum!!!

Vishal S - 6 years, 5 months ago

Sound can have a speed, it is possible but it needs a medium for the propagation of sound which is not in the space.

Rishabh Kumar - 6 years, 5 months ago

Then why did you give the speed of sound is 300m/s.Speed of sound in vacuum is 0m/s

Vishal S - 6 years, 5 months ago

@Vishal S – You're given that the speed of sound in air is 300m/s, the problem says nothing about the speed of sound in a vacuum.

Zach Oakes - 6 years, 4 months ago

@Vishal S – actuall in the question he specified IN AIR

Rishi Sharma - 6 years, 4 months ago

So why does Voyager 2 carry music on board, as mentioned in a book, so that aliens can recognize it??

Vaibhav Kandwal - 6 years, 5 months ago

Hey my friend, if you are talking about that Voyager 2 which has left a time capsule in space with images and sounds which portray the earth's life and culture then let me tell you that it is a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images. And if you tend to hear it you would need a medium ultimately for propagation of sound.

Rishabh Kumar - 6 years, 5 months ago

But still it's stupidity to leave a time capsule in space where probably no one will hear it.

Vaibhav Kandwal - 6 years, 5 months ago

@Vaibhav Kandwal – It has been left there so that if there is or will be life in anywhere in this universe then those can access the information of our life and the activities we did .

Rishabh Kumar - 6 years, 5 months ago

@Rishabh Kumar – What if they are not as advanced as we are??

Vaibhav Kandwal - 6 years, 5 months ago

@Vaibhav Kandwal – You know we were also not so advanced earlier but now we are so may be this will happen with them also.

Rishabh Kumar - 6 years, 5 months ago

Shailendra Shukla
Jan 14, 2015

No medium for sound to travel in space therefore you won't hear the explosion

Jaxon Norgard
Aug 30, 2020

you cant hear in space

詩峰黃
Jul 3, 2019

sound uses air to travel = sound on earth

Abdullah Nayaz
Jan 18, 2015

صوت از جمله امواج میخانیکی است که بدون محیط منتشر نمیشود لذا درفضا قادر به شنیدن آن نخواهیم بود

When do you hear?

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