Sound waves are longitudinal waves that can travel through air. Would you expect sound waves to travel faster through a low-density gas (such as helium) or a higher-density gas such as carbon dioxide? Justify your answer based on what you have learned.
Sound waves would travel faster through a low-density gas such as helium compared to a higher-density gas like carbon dioxide. This can be justified based on what we have learned about the properties of sound waves and their interaction with the medium.
In general, sound waves travel faster in media with lower density. This is because sound waves propagate through the collisions between particles in the medium. In a low-density gas like helium, there are fewer particles per unit volume, resulting in fewer collisions and less interference with the movement of sound waves. This allows sound waves to travel more easily and at a faster speed.
On the other hand, in a higher-density gas like carbon dioxide, there are more particles per unit volume, leading to more frequent collisions and a higher level of interference in the propagation of sound waves. As a result, sound waves would travel slower compared to a low-density gas.
Therefore, based on the properties of sound waves and the interaction with the medium, we would expect sound waves to travel faster through a low-density gas such as helium than through a higher-density gas like carbon dioxide.