Question

Arrange the speed of sound in gases $V_g$ , solids $V_s$ and liquids $V_l$ in an ascending order.

• A. $V_g<V_l<V_s$
• B. $V_l<V_g<V_s$
• C. $V_s<V_l<V_g$
• D. Data insufficient

Answer 1

The correct option is A $V_g<V_l<V_s$

The speed of sound depends on two factors: elasticity and density. The more elastic a medium, the greater the speed. The more dense the medium the slower the speed of sound. For example steel is 6000 times more denser than air but 2,000,000 times more elastic than air, so sound travels 16 times faster in steel than in air.
More elasticity means a large bulk modulus, tension, pressure, or some other physical quantity that makes it more difficult to deform the medium. Density is just the inertial property that makes it difficult to accelerate the medium.
The speed of sound varies as the square root of the ratio of the "elastic properties" or "bulk properties". The more elastic a substance and the least dense, the faster the speed of sound in general. So the speed in increasing order is: $V_{gas}<V_{liquid}<V_{solid}$.