Do you hear better on water or on land?

Question

Explain why.

Answer 1

On water, because there isn't anything protruding into the air from the surface to impede the travel of soundwaves.

Answer 2

I recall hearing which and why, but don't remember either.

However, thinking about it, one would hear better on flat land than on still water. Land is firm compared to water, so water would tend to absorb the energy of sound as opposed to land. This is evident when a fighter jet skims across the ocean at the speed of sound. The sound actually lifts the water, causing a splash. Whereas the ground doesn't do that much in the same condition.

Answer 3

According to theory, you should be able to hear better underwater because the molecules in water are more dense than molecules of air are... since it is vibrations of the molecules that permits the transmission of sound, the more dense the medium is, the better you can hear through it.
It's the same theory Indians and robbers in the old West days used to listen for the sound of the approaching train. They'd put their ear down onto the steel rail, because the much denser metal would carry the sound from further away that the air would.

Answer 4

There is a catch in your question. The sound travels faster when the medium is Water. Meaning you would hear the 'bang' faster, but the audio quality would not be better than what you could hear through Air (the way we are used to hearing).

Remember, the two explosions heard by the Titanic passenger/crew? I do not remember or can not paraphrase but it was like: they heard the sound of boiler room explosion once swimming under the water after diving from the ship and when surfaced, sound another explosion. In fact, it was one explosion heard faster (quicker) when they were under water and the same explosion was heard later when they heard it through Air. Hope I could have clarified it better!

Answer 5

You hear better IN water than you do ON land because the water has a closer molecular structure that allows for vibrations to travel faster. So it's not really better, just faster. It also allows for greater frequency responses of vibrations outside human hearing ranges, but you can't hear them.

Answer 6

If you mean 'On' the water, as in a boat, and "In' the air as on land, then there is no difference in YOUR ABILITY to hear. Maybe you can hear sounds across the water because they can travel farther than across the land, but it has nothing to do with your ability to hear them.

If you mean 'in' the water, as when snorkeling, you might be able to hear sounds from even farther away than on the water. Sound travels faster and farther under the water than above it. Unfortunately, the sounds our ears like to hear - 20 to 20,000 Hz. - are not the best sounds for under water. So, your ability to hear under water is not as good as above the water.
;-D Don't forget your shark repellant! You can't hear them coming!

Answer 7

i will explain first the theory about sound travel. ok?
in order for sound to travel it needs a medium. What is this medium i'm talking about? it's matter. And matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. matter is in three forms solid, liquid, gas. To produce matter it needs molecules. Molecules in solids are compact, in liquid they are farther apart and only takes the containers as its form and gas is formless and molecules are very far apart.
Sound travel through these molecules. so for farther molecules it needs a lot of time to reach or swing from molecule to molecule. While in solid because they are very close together it take less time to swing from one molecule to another. That is why thunder is slower than lightning. but that is a different topic. And lightning is light and not sound.
so for your question, on water on land? lets elaborate. since you are on these terrain or environment, what is the medium of sound? it is air. so because air is your medium even if your on water and on land it will just be the same.

Answer 8

Water is a better conductor of sound than air (the speed of sound is faster in water than in air) and while humans conduct sound through bones (and sound travels faster through denser mediums - water steel bone, etc) human hearing underwater is less efficient. Human hearing involves an equalization of air pressure inside and outside the ear.

Answer 9

I myself here better on land, although sound travels further distance in water.

Answer 10

Of course on the land because we are not able live in water. but i can not understand your mean clearly.

Answer 11

On land, waters' movement absorbs sound.