medium · Enhanced ACT science
Hypothesis A: Sound travels through a 'luminiferous aether' that fills all space. Hypothesis B: Sound is a mechanical wave that requires a physical medium (like air or water). Experiment: A bell is placed inside a sealed glass jar and rung. A vacuum pump then removes all the air. Observation: As the air is removed, the sound of the bell becomes fainter until it cannot be heard at all.
Which hypothesis is supported?
- Hypothesis B, because the disappearance of the sound correlates with the removal of the physical air particles from the jar.
- Hypothesis A, because the aether is likely too thin to be detected by the human ear once the amplification of air is removed.
- Hypothesis B, because it is impossible for sound to travel through a vacuum, which is the definition of a space devoid of all matter.
- Both hypotheses, because the 'luminiferous aether' and 'physical medium' are essentially two different names for the same substance.
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