As stiffness increases, the speed of sound in the material ______.

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Multiple Choice

As stiffness increases, the speed of sound in the material ______.

Explanation:
When a material is stiffer, the elastic forces resisting deformation are stronger, so a disturbance travels more quickly through the material. The speed of sound in solids is related to stiffness and density, roughly as v ∝ sqrt(stiffness/density). If density stays about the same, increasing stiffness raises the speed. So the speed of sound increases as stiffness increases. That’s the natural trend you’d expect: stiffer materials transmit vibrations faster, whereas softer materials like rubber transmit them more slowly.

When a material is stiffer, the elastic forces resisting deformation are stronger, so a disturbance travels more quickly through the material. The speed of sound in solids is related to stiffness and density, roughly as v ∝ sqrt(stiffness/density). If density stays about the same, increasing stiffness raises the speed. So the speed of sound increases as stiffness increases.

That’s the natural trend you’d expect: stiffer materials transmit vibrations faster, whereas softer materials like rubber transmit them more slowly.

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