Would sound travel faster through air or water? Why?

Does the wind slow sound?
Does the water slow the sound?

Sound is faster in water.

Water faster, because it is more dense, tighter coupling between molecules. Hence, no to your last question.

Does the wind slow sound? No.

I meant to add that I heard it travels faster in air but I don't think so. I think the wind slows it and I think the water carries it.

I've been told air is faster. No one thinks I might be right!

wow, you two answered fast..

Thanks for your input!

*Xts*
Glad to know I'm not alone now!

well then try a solid. When those long boring days in school, I usually put my head to the desk and bang, scratch, and do whatever to the bottom and amuse myself. Nises sound more distinctm traveling through a solid, which is denser than air.

Speed of sound through air at 0 degrees Celsius:
331.4m/s or 1087.27 ft/s

Speed of sound through water at 0 degrees Celsius:
1402m/s or 4599.74 ft/s

So, yes by more than 4 times.

Hence, why submarines are striving to be quiet these days

You can tell where a sound is coming from when you're on land because the sound reaches your ears at different times, which orients the sound. If you've ever been scuba diving or just swimming, it is nearly impossible to tell were the sound is coming from, given the sound originated underwater. This is because the sound reaches both your ears at almost exactly the same time. Think of it as depth perception for your ears.

Dolphins, etc. seem to be pretty good at it.

Think it's more because we're not as adapted/evolved to the water enviroment.

Rocks is even faster, I think experiments were done using the limestone bedrock to send code during the cold war.

RETURN TO THE 8TH GRADE


yes water+sounds>sound+air

Dolphins don't rely on hearing sound through two ears to determine where sound is coming from. They use sonar (echolocation) like bats and is an entirely different way of "hearing". My other explanation still stands.

The denser the medium, the faster sound travels.

Like Bats? Bats have ears.

Bats have ears, but they also use echolocation. They just recieve their signal back differently than dolphins. That's how they find insects in the night.

Dolphin don't use echolocation?

[quote]Dolphin don't use echolocation?[/quote]

Yes, dolphins do use echolocation.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/dolphindefender/sounds.html

Dolphins also have 2 ears, they just don't have ear flaps around them like bats or humans do. http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Bottlenose/sensesdol.html
Picture: http://www.fieldtripearth.org/media_image.xml?object_id=1744&file_id=4095

Even though dolphins probably "hear" most sounds thru their jaws which connect to their ear bones, that's not the same as echolocation (creating sound and listening to the echo to create a mental picture of one's environment). Dolphins do echolocate, but not constantly. They only do it when they need to "see" without using their eyes (like bats).

Interesting.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/snakehealth/f/snakesnoises.htm

In the past it was a common belief that snakes couldn't hear much, if anything, since they have no external ears and don't seem to respond much to noises. However, some scientific research refutes this common misconception.

While snakes do not have external ears or eardrum, they do have innear ear structures. A bone called the quadrate bone (in the jaw) moves slightly in response to vibrations. It has been shown to respond to airborne vibrations as well as ground vibrations. As with other animal ears, this movement is transferred (via bones) to the inner ear, from which signals are sent to the brain and are interpreted as sound. How much snakes can hear or how they process and interpret this information remains largely a mystery. However, some researchers determined that snakes are able to detect low frequency airborne vibrations through their inner ears. Snakes also respond to airborne vibrations via the lungs, and to ground vibrations via receptors associated with their belly muscles.

Technical details aside, loud noises (especially at a low frequency) can cause a snake to become agitated. While they may not show obvious signs of distress at loud noises, if they are exposed to repeated loud noises, snakes may be reluctant to eat or nervous and more likely to strike.

Have you ever felt a vibrating sensation when listening to loud music heavy on bass? Imagine what that might feel like to a snake who is built to "hear" that way. This is definitely something to consider if your snake is living next to your stereo system!