Book 14, Question 78
Why Does Sound Travel Fastest Through Solid Metal?
Sound travels fastest through solid metal because its atoms are held tightly together! They snap back very quickly after a push. So the vibration races from one atom to the next, like a row of dominoes.
More fun facts
- Sound travels at different speeds through gases, liquids and solids.
- The particles in a solid are closest together.
- So sound usually travels fastest through solids.
- Sound moves faster in liquids than gases, and faster still in most solids.
- Sound can travel through solids, liquids or gases.
Questions kids ask
Why does sound move faster in solids?
Their particles are packed closely, so vibrations pass along quickly.