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Can sound exist in a vacuum cleaner? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by AndreyAsimow@lemmy.world to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca

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Hey everyone, I've got a question that's been bugging me. So, we all know that sound needs a medium to travel through, like air or water. But what happens with sound in a vacuum cleaner? I mean, it's a vacuum, right? Does it just get all quiet in there? Or is there something I'm missing? Thanks for satisfying my curiosity on this one – I'm really stumped!

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[–] IanM32@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

It's not a total vacuum in there, despite the name.

There's a (very loud) motor that pumps air out of the machine at an incredible rate, and air rushes in to fill that space, mostly through the only available opening (the hose). The rushing air carries debris with it.

So there's always some air inside the canister (or whatever collection container), which allows sound to propagate through. My guess is that it would be deafening in there.