What is the difference between a sound wave and a radio wave?
Sound wave
A sound wave needs something to allow it to spread. Air, water,
solids etc. This is known as a 'medium' and sound waves need a
medium in order to propagate. These waves are known as
'longitudinal' waves.
Analogy
This is similar to a line of traffic being hit by a fast moving
truck failing to stop. The resulting wave of collisions move.
through the line until t reaches the first car.
Sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum such as in space and
many Hollywood movies make this mistake.
Radio Waves
These can travel through the air or the vacuum of space so they
do not need a medium.
They are generally transverse waves like ripples on a pond
radiating from the transmitter