Does sound travel faster in fresh water or salt water?

Answer 1

it depends on the circumstances. boat type, wind..... In a controlled environment where water temp,current, and wind are equal you will be faster in fresh water. this is because fresh water is less dense thus creating less resistance. on the other hand you float higher in saltwater which can also create less drag. However mathematically because of the resistance of saltwater you can calculate that you will be able to go faster in fresh water despite floating higher in saltwater. Its not much faster. I haven't calculated it but if I had to guess maybe 1-2% faster. A more dramatic example would be easier to understand. lets compare freshwater vs mud or somewhat diluted mud 50 50. its a lot easier to figure out which you will go faster in. My boat will practically sit on top of the mud. less drag right? This is what most people think saltwater does for them. How fast are you going to go in mud? Not hard to figure that out. there is too much resistance, you probably wont go anywhere. Apply this same logic to saltwater vs fresh and you can see that the more dense a solution is the more resistance it will have.

Answer 2

does sound trevel faster in saltwater or freshwater?x

Answer 3

Fresh water

Answer 4

salt water