Final answer:
The statement that the medium is the matter that carries voice or data transmission is true. The medium allows waves, including electromagnetic and sound waves, to propagate without traveling with the wave itself. Digital data transmissions and wave propagation speeds are influenced by the medium's properties.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'The medium is the physical matter or substance that carries the voice or data transmission' is true. A medium in the context of physics and engineering is the matter or substance through which waves, including voice and data transmissions, travel. Such mediums can be solid, liquid, gas, or plasma. The medium itself does not travel with the wave but allows the wave to be conveyed from one location to another. When a wave moves through a medium, it temporarily displaces particles from their resting position; these particles then interact with adjacent particles, propagating the wave.
For instance, cell phone conversations and television signals are transmitted through various mediums, including the air and optical fibers, and can be transmitted as digital data. This digital transmission, composed of binary ones and zeros, is an efficient way to carry large amounts of data over electromagnetic waves. The rate at which data is transmitted depends on the frequency of the electromagnetic wave, which means higher frequencies, such as those used in optical fibers, can carry more data.
Furthermore, the speed at which waves propagate through a medium is affected by the density and stiffness of that medium. Generally, waves move faster in a less dense medium if the stiffness is the same; however, sound waves travel more slowly in mediums where the particles are more easily compressed and less quickly if the particles do not compress much.
Lastly, it is important to note that electromagnetic waves can also travel through a vacuum, such as space, where light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation can propagate without the need for a physical medium.