Speed of Sound in Air vs. Water – Rankers Physics

Sound Wave and its Characteristics: Practice Problem & Solution

Assertion (A): Sound travels faster in air than in water. Reason (R): Air is always rarer medium with respect to water medium.  
Both (A) & (R) are true and the (R) is the correct explanation of the (A)
Both (A) & (R) are true but the (R) is not the correct explanation of the (A)
(A) is true but (R) is false
Both (A) and (R) are false

Short Solution (Best for NEET):

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Sound Wave and its Characteristics. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

Assertion (A) is false; sound travels much faster in water (approx. \(1480 \text{ m/s}\)) than in air (approx. \(343 \text{ m/s}\)). Reason (R) is true; air is indeed a rarer (less dense) medium than water. Given that Assertion (A) is false, option 4 is the only choice that fits this condition among the provided options, despite Reason (R) being true.

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