medium
Sound waves are mechanical waves, and mechanical waves can only travel through matter. The matter through which the waves travel is called the medium plural, media . The Table below gives the speed of sound in several different media. Generally, sound waves travel most quickly through solids, followed by liquids, and then by gases. Particles of matter are closest together in solids and farthest apart in gases. When particles are closer together, they can more quickly pass the energy of vibrations to nearby particles. You can explore the speed of sound in different media at this URL:.