Speed of Sound

[dwc929]

How come sound travels slower in higher density? Doesn't sound travel faster in water than it does in air? I could've swore both EK and TPR have a definitive line where it says density and sound are inversely proportional?

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[ThePandaFactor]

It is but the water has a much greater bulk modulus so it more than makes up for it.

 

[tco]

Higher density means more inertia per unit volume. More inertia is harder to move, even for a wave.

You need to know the elastic component of whatever you're looking at to make a definitive judgment on the speed of a wave.

 

[dwc929]

How come sound speeds up in glass then? Higher density, can't imagine it to be very elastic...

V = B/p ^ 1/2 right? Am I still not getting something here?