Can sound travel through a vacuum?

Sound is a mechanical wave that requires a medium—such as air, water, or solid materials—to travel. This is because sound waves are created by the vibration of particles in these materials. When an object vibrates, it causes nearby particles to vibrate as well, creating a wave that propagates through the medium.

In a vacuum, there are no particles present to transmit these vibrations. Since sound relies on the interaction between particles to travel, it cannot propagate in a vacuum where no matter exists. This fundamental principle of wave behavior highlights that sound waves cannot travel through empty space, making the argument for the absence of particles in a vacuum the correct basis for understanding why sound cannot travel there.