Question

The speed of sound in different media at increasing temperatures is shown in the data table below. Why does sound travel the slowest and air?

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

There is no data table provided, but sound generally travels slower in air compared to other media due to the properties of air molecules. When sound travels, it propagates by the vibration of particles in the medium. In solid materials, the particles are tightly packed, allowing sound waves to propagate faster as the vibrations can easily transfer from one particle to another.

In liquids, particles are closer together than in gases, thus allowing sound waves to travel faster than in air. However, in air, the particles are much more spread out and have greater distances between them. This results in an increased time for sound vibrations to spread and propagate, leading to a slower speed of sound.

Additionally, temperature affects the speed of sound as it changes the average kinetic energy of the particles. As temperature increases, the particles in air gain more energy and move faster, resulting in increased collisions and a faster speed of sound. Conversely, at lower temperatures, the particles move slower, leading to a slower speed of sound.

Therefore, sound travels slower in air mainly due to the relatively larger distances between particles in comparison to other media like solids or liquids, as well as the lower kinetic energy of air molecules at normal temperatures.