3.3.12

The Speed of Sound

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Speed of Sound

Sound needs to travel through a medium. The more rigid the medium is, the higher the speed of the sound wave through the medium. The more compressible the medium is, the slower the speed of the sound wave through the medium.

Gases

Gases

  • Gases are readily compressible (easy to squash), so the speed of sound in a gas is very slow.
Liquids

Liquids

  • Liquids are more rigid and less compressible than gases, so the speed of sound in liquids is much higher than in gases.
Solids

Solids

  • Solids are significantly more rigid than liquids and gases and are very hard to compress.
  • Therefore, the speed of sound in solids is much higher than in liquids or gases.
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Biology

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