Question

Radio waves travel at a speed that depends on frequency. Which of the following statements is true about the speed of radio waves compared to sound waves?

A) Radio waves always travel much faster than sound waves.
B) Radio waves in common cases travel at the same speed as sound waves.
C) Radio waves travel slower, on average, than sound waves.
D) Radio waves travel at a speed that depends on frequency.

Answer 1

Radio waves, which are electromagnetic waves, always travel much faster than sound waves and do so at a constant speed in a vacuum, which is the speed of light (c). Unlike sound, their speed does not depend on frequency or the medium they travel through.

Step-by-step explanation:

The speed of radio waves does not depend on frequency, as radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation. Unlike sound waves that require a medium to travel through and whose speed can vary based on that medium, radio waves can travel through a vacuum at a constant speed. The correct statement regarding the speed of radio waves compared to sound waves is: A) Radio waves always travel much faster than sound waves. This is evident through observing phenomena like fireworks, where we see the light (another form of electromagnetic radiation, like radio waves) well before we hear the sound, implying that electromagnetic waves travel much faster than sound waves.

While the speed of sound can indeed change when traveling through different media, the frequency generally remains constant, causing the wavelength to adjust accordingly. However, for radio waves and all forms of electromagnetic radiation, the speed is always constant in a vacuum: approximately 299,792,458 meters per second (the speed of light, c), and is not dependent on frequency or wavelength.