Sound waves in the interstellar medium
A) cannot travel through the gas.
B) travel so slowly that they are undetectable.
C) can travel through the gas, but the very low density of the interstellar medium makes them inaudible.
D) travel extremely quickly and are therefore very loud.
E) can travel through the halo interstellar medium but not the disk of the galaxy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sound waves can travel through the interstellar medium, but the low density of the gas means that they are inaudible. This is because sound waves require a medium to travel through, and the sparse interstellar medium does not provide enough particles to transmit sound effectively. However, other forms of electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, can still travel through the interstellar medium and be detected by astronomers.

Sound Waves in the Interstellar Medium