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.
X- speed before: 972
Y-speed before: 1,483
Z-speed before: 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 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.
C. X is the solid, Y is the liquid, and Z is the gas.
This is because the speed of sound waves is fastest in solids, then in liquids, and slowest in gases. So, the medium with the fastest speed (Z) must be the solid, the medium with the medium speed (Y) must be the liquid, and the medium with the slowest speed (X) must be the gas.