Which statement is true about how sound travels?

Which statement is true about how sound travels?

• A. It travels through a vacuum
• B. It travels through a medium such as air, solids, or liquids
• C. It travels faster in vacuum
• D. It doesn't require matter to move

Answer: (C)

Sound moves by vibrating particles and passing that energy from one particle to the next. Because it needs those particles to carry the vibration, sound cannot travel through a vacuum where there are no molecules to transfer the energy. So the true idea is that sound travels through a medium such as air, solids, or liquids, and it does not move in empty space. The speed of sound depends on the medium: it’s typically fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases, because the way particles interact and bounce the vibrations along is most efficient in solids.

Sound moves by vibrating particles and passing that energy from one particle to the next. Because it needs those particles to carry the vibration, sound cannot travel through a vacuum where there are no molecules to transfer the energy. So the true idea is that sound travels through a medium such as air, solids, or liquids, and it does not move in empty space. The speed of sound depends on the medium: it’s typically fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases, because the way particles interact and bounce the vibrations along is most efficient in solids.