Sound travel and speed of sound
Sound does not travel as fast as light but it’s still very fast. The speed of sound is how fast the wave or vibrations pass through a material.
Sound travels through each material at a different speed. It travels faster through solids than gases and around four times faster in water than in air! This is because the closer the molecules are together the faster sound can move.
Sound needs matter in order to travel.
Sound travels at 335 metres (1,100 feet) per second in the air. It travels at 1482 metres per second in water and at 4512 metres per second in steel.
A whale’s voice can travel at a maximum speed of 800 kilometres (479 miles) underwater. That’s pretty fast! Some animals like dolphins can hear sounds from 24 kilometres (15 miles) away.
