Question: How does sound travel through the air?

Michael Loughlin answered on 14 Jun 2010:

ahh physics..ok..

well sound is the movement of particles in air…or another medium.
They bump into each other, compress togther and form a wave of particle movement. a vibration. But this has to have something to carry this wave..a solid liquid or gas. Like waves in the sea. Thats why is space literally no-one can hear you scream, or explosions, or laser fire ( if light made a noise which it doesn’t) because there is no medium to carry it.
so in air its a pit like a slinky ( if you remeber those) being pushed back and forward compressing and releasing but this compression apears to travel down the slinky
Here is a youtube that shows how sound ( compression of air molecules) out of a speaker can move candle flames and eventually burst bubbles. If you look at the rippling effect before the bubble bursts you will see the familiar water wave appearance