NCEA Level 3 Waves 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Sound travels fastest through solid materials due to the density and elastic properties of solids. In solids, the particles are closely packed together, allowing sound waves to be transmitted more efficiently. When sound waves propagate through a medium, they rely on particle interactions to transfer energy. In solids, these interactions occur more rapidly compared to liquids and gases, enabling sound to travel at higher speeds.

For example, sound travels faster in steel than in water or air because the tightly bound molecules in steel can quickly transfer kinetic energy from one particle to another. This is in contrast to air, where the low density and greater distance between particles slow down the transmission of sound waves.

While sound does travel through liquids faster than through gases, it is still significantly slower than in solids. The vacuum, by definition, contains no matter, and therefore, sound cannot travel at all in that environment.