General Science • PhysicsHard
What is the primary physical reason why sound waves travel significantly faster in solids than in gases at the same temperature?
A. Solids possess a much higher elastic modulus relative to their density compared to gases✓ Correct Answer
B. Solid molecules possess greater thermal kinetic energy and collide at higher frequencies
C. Gases experience greater viscous damping which absorbs acoustic wave energy rapidly
D. Sound waves in solids propagate as transverse electromagnetic fields rather than longitudinal pressure pulses
💡 Solution & Explanation
The speed of sound in a medium is determined by the square root of the ratio of the elastic property to the inertial property, and solids have immense elastic moduli that outweigh their higher densities, yielding high propagation speeds. Thermal kinetic energy differences do not dictate acoustic velocity as strongly as compressibility and rigidity. Viscous damping affects attenuation rather than baseline sound velocity. Sound waves remain mechanical longitudinal pressure pulses across all phases of matter, though solids can also support transverse shear waves.
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