Question

Consider these scenarios.

Scenario 1- Your ear is resting on the end of a metal bar that is stuck by a drumstick about 7 meters away from your ear.

Scenario 2- You are about 7 meters away from a metal bar that is struck with a drumstick. The sound travels through the air to your ear.

In which of these scenarios would the sound of the drumstick hitting the metal bar get to you in the least amount of time? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

The sound of the drumstick hitting the metal bar will get to me in a shorter amount of time in Scenario 1. The sound wave will travel faster in the metal bar than through the air because the speed of sound waves in solids is faster than it is in gases.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sound will reach my ear in a shorter time in Scenario 1 because sound travels faster through the metal bar than through the air. The speed of sound waves in solids is faster than it is in gases.