Two astronauts are performing a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. If one astronaut shouts loudly, why can the other not hear them without using a radio?

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A Sound travels too slowly in space to be heard.
B The vacuum of space lacks a medium (matter) to transmit sound waves.
C The astronauts' suits absorb 100% of the sound energy.
D Sound becomes "ultrasonic" in space and is inaudible to humans.

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Answer: B. The vacuum of space lacks a medium (matter) to transmit sound waves.

Explanation: Sound is a mechanical wave, meaning it requires a material medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to propagate. Since space is a vacuum, there are no particles to vibrate and carry the sound.

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Two astronauts are performing a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. If one astronaut shouts loudly, why can the other not hear them without using a radio?

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