On what two properties of a medium does the speed of sound depend?
AIts colour and its temperature
BIts charge and its conductivity
CIts rigidity and its density
DIts volume and its total mass
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Its rigidity and its density
1. The speed of sound varies greatly with the medium it travels through.
2. It is set by a combination of the rigidity of that medium and its density.
3. Rigidity is described as compressibility when the medium is a gas.
4. Temperature matters only because it changes the density of the medium.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (high school, CC BY 4.0), Ch 14 "Sound", section The Speed of Sound_
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