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Physics

The Physics of Sound Waves and Acoustics

Quick fact

Sound can't travel through a vacuum—astronauts can't hear each other in space without radios. In a typical room, the speed of sound is about 343 meters per second, but in diamond it's roughly 12,000 meters per second, nearly 35 times faster!

Why this is interesting

Have you ever wondered why a scream in a canyon echoes, or why your voice sounds different on an empty ferris wheel? The secret lies in the invisible vibrations that travel through the air as sound waves.