Final answer:
Sound waves travel the fastest in solids such as wood, slower in water, and the slowest in air due to differences in medium density and rigidity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The speed at which sound waves travel is greatly influenced by the medium they move through. The primary factors determining this speed are the medium's density and rigidity (or in the case of gases, compressibility). Sound travels quicker through materials that are more rigid and less compressible, as well as through those that are denser, as the sound energy is transmitted more efficiently between closely packed particles.
Given this information, when considering air, wood (a type of solid), and water (a liquid), the rank of their sound transmission speeds from fastest to slowest would be:
- Wood (solid)
- Water (liquid)
- Air (gas)
Therefore, sound travels the fastest in wood, slower in water, and the slowest in air. This is because solids like wood have tightly packed particles that make them more rigid and less compressible, allowing for quicker sound wave propagation compared to liquids like water, and gases like air are the least dense and most compressible, slowing down the transmission of sound.