Question

Which of the following statements best describes a difference between mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves?

A.Mechanical waves can produce colored light, while electromagnetic waves cannot.


B.Mechanical waves can travel in any direction, while electromagnetic waves travel only in one direction.


C.Mechanical waves travel only through a medium, while electromagnetic waves can also travel through a vacuum.


D.Mechanical waves travel only at the speed of light, while electromagnetic waves can travel at many different speeds.

Answer 1

It is c

Electromagnetic waves differ from mechanical waves in that they do not require a medium to propagate. This means that electromagnetic waves can travel not only through air and solid materials, but also through the vacuum of space.

Answer 2

Mechanical waves must use matter as a medium, they displace the matter in space. Examples of mechanical waves are sound waves (must go through gas (air) which is matter), ocean waves (must go through liquid (water) which is matter, and earthquakes (must go through solid (earth) which is matter.