Question

In which medium sound travels fastest : air, water or steel?

Answer 1

Sound travels faster in steel than in water. Similarly, sound travels faster in water than in air. This is because in solids, the distances between the molecules are closer and thus the atoms are more densely packed than in gases and liquids. Therefore, the molecules quickly collide with one another and transfer the vibrational energy. Similarly, in liquids the molecules are closer to one another than in gases.