Is There Sound (audible to the human ear) on Mars?

[HeyHomie]

Check out this awesome picture of a tornado on Mars.

From what I understand, the atmosphere on Mars is about 1% as dense as that of the Earth. Would such a thin atmosphere carry sound waves that are audible to the human ear? If I were standing near that tornado, would I have been able to hear it?*

*Of course not- I'd have been in a space suit. But you get what I mean.

[Sizzles]

Nasa put a microphone on the Polar Lander;

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lidar...mic_found.html

Don't know if it worked.

[Si Amigo]

There is an atmosphere so yes there would be sound; sound is basically the displacement of molecules.

[carnivorousplant]

Originally Posted by Sizzles

Nasa put a microphone on the Polar Lander;

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lidar...mic_found.html

Don't know if it worked.

The Polar Lander crashed.

[UncleRojelio]

Originally Posted by carnivorousplant

The Polar Lander crashed.

My bad. Sorry.

[Fear Itself]

Originally Posted by carnivorousplant

The Polar Lander crashed.

I bet that made a sound.

[kenobi 65]

Originally Posted by Fear Itself

I bet that made a sound.

If a spaceship crashes on Mars, but there's no one to hear it, does it make a sound?

[Happy Lendervedder]

Age old question. If a Polar Lander crashes onto a planet with a very thin atmosphere and no one could actually survive standing on the surface of that planet without wearing a spacesuit that cancels out most outside noise, does it make a sound?

[chrisk]

I found this interesting article - theoretical results rather than experimental, but I found it interesting - a sound that would carry 1 kilometer on Earth would travel approx 15 meters on Mars.

[Freddy the Pig]

Originally Posted by Si Amigo

There is an atmosphere so yes there would be sound; sound is basically the displacement of molecules.

But with only 1% of earth-atmosphere density would human ears be able to hear that sound? Would sounds just be 1% as loud?

[Mangetout]

Originally Posted by Freddy the Pig

But with only 1% of earth-atmosphere density would human ears be able to hear that sound? Would sounds just be 1% as loud?

I imagine the relationship between volume and density won't be linear. The speed of sound will certainly be slower in a less dense medium.

[chrisk]

I suspect that distance might be the factor - that despite the sparse air, a sound that you're very close to is almost as loud as on Earth, but it falls off quickly as it travels.

[Si Amigo]

Originally Posted by Freddy the Pig

But with only 1% of earth-atmosphere density would human ears be able to hear that sound? Would sounds just be 1% as loud?

Depends upon the individuals hearing perception. I for one have trouble hearing the grass grow over the screams of the butterflies.

[Saint Cad]

There was a website that simulated what a windstorm on Mars would sound like. Sounded very meh. I'll see if I can find it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2jNQMTnhdQ


Here's another one to compare sounds
http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/marsmic/sound.html