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Definition of Mechanical Waves and Electromagnetic Waves:
There are a variety of ways to categorize waves. One way to categorize waves is to say that they are either mechanical waves or electromagnetic waves.
A mechanical wave is a type of wave that requires a medium in order to transport its energy from one location to another.
An electromagnetic wave is a type of wave that can transport its energy through a region of space void of matter. Electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum.
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Sound waves travel from the source to the observer by means of particle-to-particle interaction. The source disturbs the first particle of the medium - perhaps by pushing it forward. This particle in turn pushes on the second particle of the medium, pushing it forward as well. The second particle pushes the third particle forward which in turn pushes the ... . As a result of this particle-to-particle interaction, a sound wave travels through the medium from one location to another. However, if there were no particles in the region of space surrounding the source, then there would be no sound wave traveling through that region of space. The source could vibrate, but there would be no particles surrounding it that could be forced to vibrate about a fixed position. Sound waves require a medium - solid, liquid or gas - in order to transport its energy from the source to the observer. Sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum.
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