Final answer:
Electromagnetic waves, such as infrared radiation and visible light, can transfer heat through the vacuum of space, requiring no medium to propagate and moving at the speed of light.
Step-by-step explanation:
- Waves that can transfer heat through the vacuum of empty space are known as electromagnetic waves. These waves are capable of propagating without the need for any medium, meaning that unlike conduction or convection, radiation does not require matter to transport energy.
- Within the electromagnetic spectrum, various wave types like infrared radiation, visible light, and ultraviolet radiation can carry heat energy and other forms of electromagnetic energy across the vacuum of space. A common example of this is sunlight reaching the Earth from the Sun despite the vast emptiness of space.
- Electromagnetic waves are generated by the oscillation of electric and magnetic fields and can travel through a vacuum at the speed of light, approximately 2.99792458 × 108 m/s. The fact that these waves require no medium for travel was historically puzzling, leading to the now-discarded theory of the aether.
- Presently, we understand that electromagnetic waves move through empty space uninhibited and at consistent speeds, illuminating our nights with starlight.