Sound: why does it travel faster in solids?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

SuperSaiyan3

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
May 13, 2009
Messages
356
Reaction score
4
Don't understand this concept that the speed of sound is faster in:

s>l>g mediums.

Why??

:luck:

Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
No it's not. It was a concept straight out of AAMC6.

yes it is. i've looked at the question you're talking about (the discrete near the end) and it has nothing to do with knowing compressibility and bulk moduli. if you're that interested get a book.
 
Last edited:
haha i love these subtle remarks, but anyway sound travels faster because it is a longitudinal wave (this means it depends on compression and rarefraction) whereas the waveforms you see traveling through a rope are transverse waves.

if you need this in terms of an equation, it is:
velocity of sound wave= sqrt (bulk modulus/density), now since solids have the highest bulk modulus, they will give the highest velocity, they also have a high density, but the bulk modulus overrides the density portion of it.

if a substance has a high resistance to compression (hi bulk modulus), sound won't get caught up in trying to compress the medium and will travel straight through. if the substance has a high density, there is more matter for the sound to travel through, hence slower sound wave.

just remember, sound travels fast at high bulk moduli, and slow in high density. hope this helps!!
 
yes it is. i've looked at the question you're talking about (the discrete near the end) and it has nothing to do with knowing compressibility and bulk moduli. if you're that interested get a book.

hahahah why so serious?? :rolleyes:
You've got too much time on your hands kid. I'm only here to ask for help to prepare for this MCAT. I don't really care if you follow me around ON THE INTERNET like some immature little premed.

If you're not going to be helpful, then don't post. :p

For those who ARE wondering..

1. don't fall into that idiot's claims that bulk moduli and compressibility is out of the AAMC scope. he's merely trying to make the competition fail.

2. [SIZE=-1]"Sound is nothing more than a local disturbance whose propagation is facilitated by the collisions between particles; this disturbance propagates in a logitudnal wave; imagine one molecule hitting the next molecule, and then that molecule hitting the next, and so forth.

The distances between molecules in solids are very small, i.e., solids are more dense - as compared to liquids and gases. Because they are so close, than can collide very quickly, i.e. it takes less time for a molecule of the solid to 'bump' into its neighborough. Solids are packed together tighter than liquids and gases, hence sound travels fastest in solids. The distances in liquids are shorter than in gases, but longer than in solids. Liquids are more dense than gases, but less dense than solids, so sound travels 2nd fast in liquids. Gases are the slowest because they are the least dense: the molecules in gases are very far apart, compared with solids and liquids."[/SIZE]

#2 was the answer.

I love it when people try to start **** online... it's just fun to watch them unable to to do anything until the other person "posts back," which is pretty much going to lead nowhere.

Grow up kid. :laugh:

SS3 :luck:
 
hahahah why so serious?? :rolleyes:
You've got too much time on your hands kid. I'm only here to ask for help to prepare for this MCAT. I don't really care if you follow me around ON THE INTERNET like some immature little premed.

If you're not going to be helpful, then don't post. :p

For those who ARE wondering..

1. don't fall into that idiot's claims that bulk moduli and compressibility is out of the AAMC scope. he's merely trying to make the competition fail.

2. [SIZE=-1]"Sound is nothing more than a local disturbance whose propagation is facilitated by the collisions between particles; this disturbance propagates in a logitudnal wave; imagine one molecule hitting the next molecule, and then that molecule hitting the next, and so forth.

The distances between molecules in solids are very small, i.e., solids are more dense - as compared to liquids and gases. Because they are so close, than can collide very quickly, i.e. it takes less time for a molecule of the solid to 'bump' into its neighborough. Solids are packed together tighter than liquids and gases, hence sound travels fastest in solids. The distances in liquids are shorter than in gases, but longer than in solids. Liquids are more dense than gases, but less dense than solids, so sound travels 2nd fast in liquids. Gases are the slowest because they are the least dense: the molecules in gases are very far apart, compared with solids and liquids."[/SIZE]

#2 was the answer.

I love it when people try to start **** online... it's just fun to watch them unable to to do anything until the other person "posts back," which is pretty much going to lead nowhere.

Grow up kid. :laugh:

SS3 :luck:
son, you seem about 5 years younger than me so listen up. you're not my competition. trust me. second, i can't take anything seriously coming from some overspoiled brat bemoaning his immigrant parents and likely has never seen a female vagina. third, and finally, the reason for the difference in speeds, i.e. compressibility, is out of scope. end of story. did the AAMC question require you to know compressibility? NO. it just requires memorization of certain facts. period. don't challenge me on this, i'm correct.
 
me too. especially since this kid's the only person who's freaking out by himself. Why does he care that I care to understand a subject? It's none of his business that I want to learn and he wants to be ignorant.
 
me too. especially since this kid's the only person who's freaking out by himself. Why does he care that I care to understand a subject? It's none of his business that I want to learn and he wants to be ignorant.

lol@you little guy. so now you agree it IS out of scope for the MCAT
 
Top