A student is sitting in a large stadium far away from the starting line of a footrace, while listening to the footrace on the radio. As the race starts, the student hears the sound of the starting pistol on the radio. Shortly after that, the student hears the sound of the starting pistol from inside the stadium.Which of the following best explains these observations?
A)Mechanical waves travel faster than electromagnetic waves.
B)Electromagnetic waves travel faster than mechanical waves.
C)The radio's signal traveled a shorter distance than the sound wave traveled.
D)The radio's microphone was farther away from the starting line than the student was.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Electromagnetic waves (such as radio waves) travel much faster than mechanical waves (such as sound waves through air), which explains why the student heard the starting pistol on the radio before hearing it directly.

A Student Is Sitting in a Large Stadium Far Away