Question

sound will travel slowest through which medium?
water at 55°c
water at 75°c
ice at 0°c
ice at -25°c

Explanation:

Step1: Recall sound speed in different states

Sound travels fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases. Ice is solid, water is liquid.

Step2: Consider temperature effect in liquid

For water (liquid), as temperature increases, molecular motion increases. But still, liquid (water) has slower sound - speed than solid (ice). Among the water options (\(55^{\circ}C\) and \(75^{\circ}C\)), lower - temperature water (\(55^{\circ}C\)) has relatively less molecular disorder compared to \(75^{\circ}C\) water. But since both are liquid (and ice is solid), we first compare liquid and solid. Since we are asked for the slowest, and liquid is slower than solid, among the two water options, \(55^{\circ}C\) water (as a liquid) is slower than ice (solid). The \( - 25^{\circ}C\) ice and \(0^{\circ}C\) ice are solids (faster than liquid). So the slowest is water at \(55^{\circ}C\)

Answer:

water at \(55^{\circ}C\)