Question

Sound waves travel faster in:
A. Solids
B. Liquids
C. Gases
D. Vacuum

Answer 1

Hint- As we know that sound wave is known as longitudinal wave and can transmit through gases, liquids, vacuum. In the simplest sense, it is the collision of particles that mediates the propagation of sound.
This movement occurs faster as the substance through which it moves becomes more "stiff" and has lower densities. The denser the medium, the faster sound travels through it.

Step-by-step answer:
Sound travels faster in liquid as compared to gas and it travels faster in solid as compared to liquid. Sound can be assumed as a mechanical process in which compression of molecules and atoms occurs followed by a rarefaction. Sound waves propagate through a medium causing the medium’s matter to push closer together for a moment, then as it re-expands, pushes against the medium’s matter as it propagates through the medium.
From above it can be concluded that the denser the medium, the faster the sound wave can travel.
And from the given option above the density of the solids are higher than the liquids and gases, therefore sound travels fastest in the solids.
Hence the correct option is “A”.

Note- Also things like the temperature of or pressure applied to the material can affect the speed of sound in the material, as it changes the density and can also change the compressibility. A denser medium is "stiffer" to this sort of motion, and can therefore permit the wave to progress quicker, meaning that sound travels faster.