Question

Where do sound waves travel faster?(1 point)

Responses

through denser materials, because the molecules in a tightly packed medium collide less frequently

through denser materials, because the molecules in a tightly packed medium collide more frequently

through less dense materials, because the molecules in a loosely packed medium collide less frequently

through less dense materials, because the molecules in a loosely packed medium collide more frequently

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

Sound waves travel faster through denser materials, because the molecules in a tightly packed medium collide more frequently. To understand this concept, we need to consider how sound waves propagate. When sound waves travel through a medium, such as air or water, they do so by compressing and expanding the molecules in the medium. This compression and expansion create a chain reaction, where neighboring molecules push against each other, transferring the energy of the sound wave.

In a denser material, there are more molecules packed closely together. As a result, when a sound wave passes through, the compression and expansion of the molecules happen more rapidly because there are more molecules for the wave to interact with. This leads to a higher frequency of collisions between molecules, which in turn allows the sound wave to propagate more quickly.

Conversely, in a less dense material where the molecules are more spaced out, there are fewer collisions between molecules as the sound wave passes through. This results in a slower propagation speed for the sound wave.

Therefore, the correct response is: "through denser materials, because the molecules in a tightly packed medium collide more frequently."