Submitted by [deleted] t3_z5yu1d in Showerthoughts
[removed]
Submitted by [deleted] t3_z5yu1d in Showerthoughts
[removed]
Since most planets don’t have an atmosphere, no sound would travel unless the sound originated on the surface or within the planet. And the sound wouldn’t leave the surface of the planet. So I guess if you put your ear directly on the planet and somehow managed to keep the air in your ear there, you could hear the sounds, but most likely you’d die because you wouldn’t be wearing a helmet and since there’s no atmosphere there is also no air and you would suffocate and this got really off topic and I need to get medicated.
>Since most planets don’t have an atmosphere
I wouldn't be too sure about that, even in our own solar system that's not true.
Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Venus, Earth, Mars all have atmospheres. Only Mercury really has very little
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>no sound would travel unless the sound originated on the surface or within the planet
And it does. NASA's InSight lander is specifically designed to study seismic waves on Mars for example. Also, if a planet has an atmosphere, it has winds ofc
Regardless, sound waves still exist if you can't personally hear them, I think that's the main point
There is no medium in space for sound to travel because well, it’s space. Contrary to popular movies.
True, true, sound can't travel if there's nothing through which to travel. But of course every time there is something, for example every star and planet in the universe, there is an opportunity for sound waves to travel. And that's obviously a lot more common than liquid water
Sound needs an atmosphere to travel.
Why specifically an atmosphere?
It’s a vibration that travels through air. I don’t know specifics but it needs an atmosphere.
Physicists usually use the term sound wave to mean acoustic waves in any medium, there is still sound under water for example
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