Does sound travel better through air or water?

Question

Writing a novel. My characters jump into their backyard pool just before their house blows up. They dive under water. I will dramatize that nothing big will land in the pool but I need to know if the house exposed will the sound hurt their ear drums.

Answer 1

Water

Sound is transmitted via the vibration of molecules.
The molecules in water are closer together and free to move because it is liquid and will transmit the sound better. Less sound will be wasted as the sound will bounce around the water.

For more info go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound

and look under the Speed of sound section

Answer 2

Sound travels better through water because it is a denser medium and will move five times quicker, so much so infact that it is extremely difficult to identify the origin and path of sound under water, for example when you are diving you can hear an outboard engine but it is very difficult to tell exactly where it is as you can in air.
This link has some good info on underwater acoustics
http://oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/acoustics/acoustics.html

Answer 3

sound is the passing of vibrating molecules. Since the molecules in air are further apart, it passes through, but not superbly. Water is denser, with more molecules per volume. Sound passes through molecules faster and further in water. (Solids are even better in passing sound. Take a fork and tap it on the table and listen to the clang. Now put the fork in between you teeth (which are solid as are you bones) and tap it. It is louder and more intense.

That being said, in your novel, since the explosion did not happen in the water, a lot of the sound vibrations will be reflected off the surface of the water and will not be as loud to the person submerged in the pool. Just to test this, while taking a bath, tap two spoons together. Put your head under water and tap the spoons above the water surface. You won't hear as much. Now, while still with your head under water, tap the spoons in the water. They will sound louder.

So the sound of the explosion will be deadened by being in the water as long as the explosion does not involve the water.

Answer 4

Nothing will hurt them probably except the heat or the vibration of the blast because our ears are sentitive.

Sound travels better is air. The reason is there is no oxygen underwater, and sound needs oxygen to travel.

Answer 5

Water is denser than air, therefore sound travels better thru' air - unless you are a porpoise!

Answer 6

It travels better through air.

Answer 7

sound orginating in the water will travel farther than sound penetrating the water from above.

Answer 8

air,have you ever seen Bad Boys 2? remember when the X dealer was at the beach with the undercover cop,he took her in water because he knew she was wearing a wire.

Answer 9

sound travels faster in the water

Answer 10

Air.