A student performs an experiment where he sends sound waves from the air through a solid, a liquid, and a gas. He records the speed of the wave traveling through each medium but forgets to label each medium. The table shows his observations. Medium Speed Before (m/s) X 972 Y 1,483 Z 5,940 The student knows that sound travels through room temperature air at 343 m/s. Based on the student's results, which medium is the solid, the liquid, and the gas? a X is the solid, Y is the liquid, and Z is the gas. b X is the liquid, Y is the gas, and Z is the solid. c X is the gas, Y is the solid, and Z is the liquid. d X is the gas, Y is the liquid, and Z is the solid.
Based on the student's results, X has the highest speed (972 m/s), followed by Y (1483 m/s), and Z (5940 m/s).
According to the table, the speed of sound in the medium labeled X is 972 m/s. Since it is the highest speed among all the mediums, it is most likely the solid.
Likewise, the speed of sound in the medium labeled Y is 1483 m/s, which is higher than the speed of sound in room temperature air (343 m/s). Therefore, medium Y is most likely the gas.
Finally, the medium labeled Z has the highest speed of 5940 m/s. Since this is significantly higher than the speed of sound in air, it is likely the liquid.
Based on the above analysis, the correct answer is: c) X is the gas, Y is the solid, and Z is the liquid.