Record your findings about sound and light waves for each of the following.

• Traveling through air

• Traveling through metal

• Why light travels faster

Sound waves travelling through the air: Sound waves travelling through air are just like longitudinal waves lacking compressions and rarefactions. The speed of sound waves in air is approximately 332 metres per second.

Light waves travelling through air: Light waves travel in air at a much faster rate than sound waves. Light waves can travel with a speed of 300 000 kilometres per second through air.

Sound waves traveling through metal: Sound waves travel about 17 times faster in metal as compared to air. The sound waves travel with an approximate speed of 5,960 meters per second in metals.

Light waves travelling through metal: The speed of light waves in a metal medium is usually at a net speed which is less than 3.00 x 108 m/s.

Light travels faster than sound waves because light waves are not pressure waves like the sound waves. They also do not require a medium as the sound waves.