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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.
Medium: X Y Z
Speed Before (m/s): 972 , 1483 , 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 corresponds to solid, liquid, and gas based on the given speeds, we need to consider the general behavior of sound wave speeds in different mediums:

• Sound travels fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases.

Given the observed speeds:

• Medium X: 972 m/s
• Medium Y: 1483 m/s
• Medium Z: 5,940 m/s

Now, comparing these speeds to the typical speeds for each medium:

• The speed of sound in air (gas) is approximately 343 m/s, so a value significantly lower than this indicates a gas.
• The speed of sound in water (liquid) is around 1482 m/s, which is consistent with the value for Medium Y.
• The speed of sound in solids can be well above 5000 m/s.

Looking at the values:

• Since Medium Z (5,940 m/s) is the highest, it is the solid.
• Medium Y (1483 m/s) is next and aligns with the speed of sound in liquids.
• Medium X (972 m/s) is the lowest and aligns with the behavior of a gas.

Therefore, the identification of the mediums is:

• Medium X is the gas,
• Medium Y is the liquid,
• Medium Z is the solid.

The correct answer is: A. X is the gas, Y is the liquid, and Z is the solid.