What are the factors which affect the travel of sound through

AI Thread Summary
Sound travels faster through solids than gases due to the stiffness and density of the material, with the speed of sound in solids being proportional to the square root of Young's modulus. In gases, the speed of sound is influenced by temperature, increasing as temperature rises. Humidity has a minor effect on sound speed, with sound traveling slightly faster in humid air compared to dry air. Overall, the primary factors affecting sound travel include the medium's density, stiffness, and temperature. Understanding these factors is essential for applications in acoustics and related fields.
unique_pavadrin
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What are the factors which affect the travel of sound through different mediums? You does sound travel faster through a solid than a gas, is it because of the greater density of the solid, or because of the stiffness of the solid? Does sound travel faster in humid air, or dry air?

many thanks
unique_pavadrin
 
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Sound travels faster through density materials if it originated in that material. This is because sound is a series of compressions in the molecules of a gas or solid.
 
In solids the speed of sound depends on the stiffness, it's proportional to the sqrt( young's modulus) in gases it is proportional to root( temperature).

Humidity has a small effect on the speed of sound in a gas - humid is very slightly faster.
 
okay thank you for the replies
 

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