Why Can’t You Hear Sound in Space?

Sound is like a wave made by things moving, like when you talk or clap. On Earth, air helps carry these waves to your ears so you can hear them. But in space, there's no air to carry the sound waves, so they just float away and you can't hear anything.

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Examples

You shout at a friend floating beside you in space, but they don’t hear anything.
An asteroid crashes into a spaceship, and the explosion is silent all around it.
A rocket engine roars as it takes off, but if you were in space near it, you wouldn't hear it.

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Categories: Technology · sound,space,physics