Saturday 3 September 2011

They've scored !

"Because radio waves travel at 186,000 miles per second and sound waves saunter along at 700 miles per hour, a broadcast voice can be heard sooner 13,000 miles away than it can be heard at the back of the room in which it originated." Isaac Asimov



This used to be wonderfully illustrated in our house when we lived in Walton in Liverpool. Liverpool FC could score a goal at Anfield, and after hearing on the radio that a goal had been scored one could step outside and there was still a moment's pause before the roar was heard from the ground some three miles away. It took a millisecond for the radio wave and around fifteen seconds for the sound itself.

2 comments:

  1. Wow. That is like seeing lightening and waiting for the thunder. Great image. GOOOOOOAAAL!!

    ReplyDelete

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