Asked by KJ

The student measures the speed of sound as it passes through three different materials. The type of material, density of the material, and speed of sound as it passes through each material are recorded in the data table.


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The student then measures the speed of light through the same materials and records the data in the table.


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Which statement BEST describes how an increase in the density of a material affects the speed of light and sound?


The speed of both waves decrease.


The speed of both waves increases.


The speed of light increases but the speed of sound decreases.


The speed of light decreases but the speed of sound increases.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The speed of light decreases but the speed of sound increases.

Reason: The student’s data show that as material density increases, sound travels faster (closer particle spacing and higher stiffness transmit vibrations more quickly), while light travels slower in denser media (higher refractive index reduces light’s speed).