SOUND NEEDS A MEDIUM TO TRAVEL

Sound is a mechanical wave and needs a material medium like air, water, steel etc. for its propagation. It cannot travel through
vacuum, which can be demonstrated by the following experiment.

Fig – Bell jar experiment showing sound cannot travel in vacuum.

Take an electric bell and an airtight glass bell jar. The electric bell is suspended inside the airtight bell jar. The bell jar is connected to a vacuum pump, . If you press the switch you will be able to hear the bell. Now start the vacuum pump. When the air in the jar is pumped out gradually,
the sound becomes fainter, although the same current is passing through the bell.
After some time when less air is left inside the bell jar you will hear a very feeble sound.
What will happen if the air is removed completely? Will you still be able to hear the sound of the bell?

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