The table shows the densities of four substances.
Substance Density (grams/centimeter3)
air 0.00123
water 1.00
steel 7.87
copper 8.96
Based on this information, in which substance is the speed of sound waves likely the greatest?
A.
air
B.
water
C.
steel
D.
copper
A. air
The speed of sound waves is generally greater in substances with lower densities, such as air. Since air has the lowest density of the four substances listed, it is likely that the speed of sound waves would be greatest in air.