Why can light travel through space but sound cannot?

Light is a transverse wave whose oscillations are perpendicular to its direction of movement. It is on the electromagnetic spectrum, so it does not need particles to propagate through. It can propagate through a vacuum by itself. Sound, on the other hand, is a longitudinal wave, whose oscillations are parallel to its direction of movement. This means that it requires a medium to propagate through and since there is no adequate medium in space, sound does not travel well in space.

Answered by Adeoluwa P. Physics tutor

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