Answer: Both can transfer energy through matter
Explanation:
Sound waves (mechanical waves) and infrared waves (electromagnetic waves), both can transfer energy through matter. However, there is a huge diference between them:
Mechanical waves only propagate through matter and can not propagate in vacuum. This means, they necessarily need a medium to propagate.
On the other hand, electromagnetic waves can propagate through matter and in vacuum, too. This means their propagation does not depend on the existence of a medium.
