Sound waves travel faster in which of the following?

Sound waves travel faster in steel because of the material's properties. Steel is a solid and possesses a tightly packed molecular structure, which allows sound waves to transmit energy quickly through the medium. The rigidity and density of steel provide an efficient pathway for sound, enabling it to travel at speeds of approximately 5,960 meters per second, significantly faster than in air, water, or even many other solids.

In contrast, sound travels slower in air at room temperature because air is a gas, which has molecules that are more spread out compared to solids like steel. This increased distance between molecules results in a slower transmission of sound waves. Water, while a liquid, allows sound to travel faster than air due to its higher density, but it is still not on par with the speed of sound in solid materials like steel. In space, sound cannot travel at all, as it lacks a medium (such as air or water) to transmit the sound waves. This highlights the importance of the medium’s physical state and properties in determining the speed at which sound can propagate.