Multiple choice

Sound travels fastest through

  1. air

  2. vaccum

  3. water

  4. steel
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Sound travels fastest through solids because their molecules are tightly packed and rigidly bonded, allowing efficient energy transfer through molecular vibrations. Steel is denser than water, and air is much less dense, while vacuum doesn't transmit sound at all. The speed of sound in steel (~5000 m/s) far exceeds that in water (~1500 m/s) or air (~340 m/s).

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