The table shows the speed of sound in different mediums.

Question

Medium
Speed of

Sound (m/s)

Air 343
Glass 5,640
Steel 5,940
Water 1,433
The table shows the speed of sound in various media. Which list orders the media from shortest wavelength to longest wavelength for sound waves that pass through them?

(1 point)
Responses

glass, steel, air, water
glass, steel, air, water

air, water, glass, steel
air, water, glass, steel

air, steel, glass, water
air, steel, glass, water

steel, glass, water, air

Answer 1

The wavelength of sound waves in a medium can be determined using the formula:

\[ \text{Wavelength} = \frac{\text{Speed of Sound}}{\text{Frequency}} \]

Since the frequency for a specific sound wave is constant across different media, we can compare the wavelengths based on the speeds. The higher the speed, the longer the wavelength.

Given the speeds from the table:

• Air: 343 m/s
• Water: 1,433 m/s
• Glass: 5,640 m/s
• Steel: 5,940 m/s

Now, let's order the media from shortest wavelength to longest wavelength:

1. Air (343 m/s) - shortest wavelength
2. Water (1,433 m/s)
3. Glass (5,640 m/s)
4. Steel (5,940 m/s) - longest wavelength

Thus the correct order from shortest wavelength to longest wavelength is:

air, water, glass, steel

So the answer is:

air, water, glass, steel.