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 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 can be determined by comparing the speeds of the sound waves through each medium to the known speed of sound in air. Sound travels faster through solids, then liquids, and slowest through gases. In this case, the speed of sound through medium X (972 m/s) is closer to the speed of sound in air (343 m/s) than the speed through medium Y or Z, indicating it is a solid. Medium Y has a speed of 1,483 m/s, which is greater than the speed of medium Z (5,940 m/s), so Y is the liquid and Z is the gas.