A student performs an experiment where he sends sound waves from the air through a solid, a liquid, and a gas. He records the speed of the wave traveling through each medium but forgets to label each medium. The table shows his observations.

Question

Medium Speed Before (m/s)
X 972
Y 1,483
Z 5,940
The student knows that sound travels through room temperature air at 343 m/s. Based on the student's results, which medium is the solid, the liquid, and the gas?

A. X is the gas, Y is the liquid, and Z is the solid.
B. X is the liquid, Y is the gas, and Z is the solid.
C. X is the solid, Y is the liquid, and Z is the gas.
D. X is the gas, Z is the liquid, and Y is the solid.

Answer 1

To determine which medium is the solid, the liquid, and the gas based on the speed of sound observations, we can reference the typical speeds of sound through each medium:

• Sound travels fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases.
• Typical speeds of sound are approximately:
  • Gas (air): ~343 m/s
  • Liquid (water): ~1,484 m/s (around room temperature)
  • Solid (steel or similar): ~5,000 m/s to ~6,000 m/s or more

Now let's analyze the student's observations:

1. Medium X: 972 m/s
2. Medium Y: 1,483 m/s
3. Medium Z: 5,940 m/s

Using the information above:

• Medium Z (5,940 m/s): This is the highest speed and is most likely the solid.
• Medium Y (1,483 m/s): This speed closely resembles the speed of sound in water, which indicates that this medium is the liquid.
• Medium X (972 m/s): This speed is lower than the others and is consistent with the speed of sound in gases (greater than 343 m/s, which is the speed through air, but less than the liquid).

Based on this analysis:

• X is the gas
• Y is the liquid
• Z is the solid

Therefore, the correct answer is:

A. X is the gas, Y is the liquid, and Z is the solid.