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Sound in Different Enviroments

Depending on what environment you are in, sound may travel differently.

Mountain top Chugach Mountains, Alaska USA swamp

Based on what you have learned about how sound waves travel, answer the following questions.

Question

Will sound travel faster at lower altitudes, where the air is more dense, or high altitudes, where the air is less dense?

Sound waves will travel faster at lower altitudes, where the air is more dense. This is because the molecules of air are closer together, so the compression wave is transmitted better.

Question

Will sound travel faster on a humid day, when the air is full of moisture, or on a dry day?

On a humid day the air is full of water molecules as well as air molecules. Since there are more molecules in the air, the sound will travel faster on a humid day.