Question

Jason is swimming in his backyard pool and notices that sounds underwater are different than sounds above water. What best explains the difference in sounds?

-The difference between how air flows and water flows
-Water entering Jason's ears and blocking sounds
-Interactions between sound waves and light waves
-The different speed of sound waves in water and in air

Answer 1

Answer: The different speed of sound waves in water and in air

Step-by-step explanation:

In general, sound (which is a mechanical wave) travels faster in solids than in liquids or gases. This is because the speed of mechanical waves is determined by a relationship between the elastic properties of the medium in which they are propagated and the mass per unit volume of the medium (that is: density).

In other words: The speed of sound varies depending on the medium through which the sound waves travel.

This is why Jason notices that sounds underwater (a liquid medium) are different from sounds above water (a gas medium: air).