Question

Sound pulses emitted by dolphin travel through ${20}^{\circ }$C ocean water at a rate of $1450m/s$. In ${20}^{\circ }$C air, these pulses would travel at 342.9 m/s. How can you account for this difference in speed?

Answer 1

The speed of sound in any medium is given by Sir Newton as:

$v=\sqrt{E/\rho }$

where E =E= coefficient of elasticity of medium

ρ =ρ= density of medium

as solids are most elastic and gases are least elastic i.e. $E_s>E_l>E_g$
Es>El>Eg

therefore speed of sound in solids is maximum and in gases is minimum i.e. $v_s>v_l>v_g$

As air is a mixture of gases therefore sound travels faster through water (liquid) than through air.