Sound is supposed to travel faster in less dense mediums of the same state of matter. Saltwater is more dense than freshwater, yet sound travels faster in saltwater. Why?
2007-11-25 04:28:51 · 1 answers · asked by Blue Raspberry 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
If you looked up the speed of sound on Wikipedia, you would have found that the speed of sound in fresh water is 1497 m/s, and 1500 m/s in salt water. However, this is misleading. In terms of experimental uncertainty and the myriad of factors affecting the speed of sound (pressure, temperature, salinity, etc.), these are essentially the same value. And since the density of seawater is only 2.5% greater than that of fresh water, it's not surprising that other factors turn out to be more significant.
Furthermore, I found one reference that claims the speed of sound in distilled water is an order of magnitude greater than the speed of sound in seawater.
2007-11-27 00:47:53 · answer #1 · answered by DavidK93 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
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RE:
Why does sound travel faster in saltwater than freshwater?
Sound is supposed to travel faster in less dense mediums of the same state of matter. Saltwater is more dense than freshwater, yet sound travels faster in saltwater. Why?
2015-08-19 04:59:10 · answer #2 · answered by Humfried 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think I can answer this question,but I would like to take a poke possibly at giving to an idea at what might lead to an answer. Salt is another source of electricity. Electricity is related to magnetism and it's possible to create electromagnetic fields.So, hear in may lie the answer if electromangnatised water is a better conductor of sound waves than fresh, seeing that salt is the only difference in the two,and seeing that there might be enough of a difference to change it's atomic structure to be able to allow sound to travel
faster through it than fresh water.
2007-11-25 09:59:15 · answer #3 · answered by bobby c 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋