SOUND &
STATES
STATES
Which SOM does sound travel fastest?
Solid
Which medium lets light travel fastest?
Air
From the sound table, which gas has the fastest sound: Neon or Air?
Neon
Inertia is resistance to being ______ or ______.
Moved or vibrated
What happens to sound when particles get closer?
It travels faster
It travels faster
Why is sound slowest in gases?
Particles are far apart
Which medium slows light the most: water, corn syrup, or glass?
Glass
Which state has the highest sound speed overall?
Solid
Which gas has lower inertia: Helium or CO₂?
Helium
What happens to light as density increases?
It slows down
Sound usually speeds up from gas → liquid → solid. Why?
Particles get closer together
What happens to light speed as density increases?
It decreases
Order Steel, Freshwater, and Neon from fastest → slowest sound.
Steel → Freshwater → Neon
Why does CO₂ have slower sound speed than Helium?
Higher inertia slows vibration
Compare the effect of density on sound vs light.
Sound speeds up; light slows down
Which liquid carries sound faster: freshwater or saltwater?
Saltwater? (b/c its more dense when salt is added)
When light enters a denser medium, what two things happen?
It slows down and bends creating a distorted image.
Order Air, Water, and Glass from fastest → slowest light speed.
Air → Water → Glass
Why is sound extremely fast in steel even with high inertia?
Particles are packed very tightly
Which matters more for sound across states: density or particle spacing?
Particle spacing
Why can two solids have different sound speeds?
Density and inertia affect vibration speed
Why does density affect light but inertia does NOT?
Light does not rely on particle vibration
Which material shows the strongest effect of inertia slowing sound?
Granite Rock
Explain how inertia changes sound speed within the same state.
Higher inertia reduces vibration speed
Higher inertia reduces vibration speed
Why do sound and light respond differently to density?
Sound needs vibrating particles; light does not