System 9

Sounds in Space

This system was for the control of a display at an exhibition centre, showing how sound doesn't travel in a vacuum. The text displayed with it was:

What do you think space sounds like?

Press the button to start the vacuum pump.

What happens when you ring the bell?

Space is a vacuum, which means there is almost nothing there

Sound waves need something to travel through, such as the air in the jar. When you empty the jar of air by pushing the button, the sound of the bell can no longer escape the jar.

The following pictures show:-

Workshop testing of the system, and the inside of the control panel

PJC Systems designed and built the panel, and factory tested the system at our customer's works