In which medium, the speed of sound is maximum?

Question

In which medium, the speed of sound is maximum?

1. A. Steel (Correct answer)
2. B. Water
3. C. Air
4. D. Hydrogen

Correct Answer

Option A — Steel

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Steel.

Key Points

• The speed of sound is maximum in solids, and among the given options steel is the only solid, so sound travels fastest through it.
• Sound is a mechanical wave that requires a material medium to propagate, and its speed depends on the elasticity and density of that medium.
• Because solids have far greater elastic moduli than liquids and gases, their particles are more tightly coupled and transmit vibrations much more rapidly.
• The general order is therefore solids > liquids > gases.
• Approximate values worth remembering: about 5,960 m/s in steel, 1,500 m/s in water, 1,280 m/s in hydrogen and only about 343 m/s in air at 20 degrees Celsius.
• Note also that the speed of sound in a gas increases with temperature and is independent of pressure at constant temperature, and that sound cannot travel through a vacuum.

Exam Tip

• hydrogen is the deliberate trap here — it is the fastest gas for sound, but still far slower than any solid.

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

किस माध्यम में ध्वनी की चाल अधिकतम होती है?

1. A. स्टील
2. B. जल
3. C. वायू
4. D. हाइड्रोजन