alleryStart learning →How does increasing the density of a medium affect the speed of sound?
AThe speed of sound decreases
BThe speed of sound increases
CThe speed is unaffected by it
DThe sound stops travelling at all
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The speed of sound decreases
1. Density and rigidity pull the speed of sound in opposite directions.
2. The greater the density of a medium, the slower the speed of sound in it.
3. So the two properties have to be considered together, not one alone.
4. Solids beat gases because their gain in rigidity outweighs their gain in density.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (high school, CC BY 4.0), Ch 14 "Sound", section The Speed of Sound_
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