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) X 972 (Speed Before (m/s))
(Medium) Y 1,483 (Speed Before (m/s))
(Medium) Z 5,940 (Speed Before (m/s))
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 gas, Y is the liquid, and Z is the solid.
B. X is the liquid, Y is the gas, and Z is the solid.
C. X is the solid, Y is the liquid, and Z is the gas.
D. X is the gas, Y is the solid, and Z is the liquid.
To determine which medium is the solid, liquid, and gas, we need to compare the speeds that the sound waves traveled through each medium to the speed of sound in air (343 m/s).
Comparing the speeds:
- Medium X: 972 m/s (slower than air)
- Medium Y: 1,483 m/s (faster than air)
- Medium Z: 5,940 m/s (much faster than air)
Based on these comparisons, we can conclude that Medium X is the gas (slower than air), Medium Z is the solid (much faster than air), and Medium Y is the liquid (faster than air).
Therefore, the correct answer is:
C. X is the solid, Y is the liquid, and Z is the gas.