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Why do sound waves generally travel faster through solids and liquids than through gases?

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Watch a suspended vibrating spring to learn about the propagation of sound waves — sound Learn about the propagation of sound waves from a point source by observing the motion of a suspended vibrating spring.

Sound waves travel through a medium by causing particles to vibrate and disturb their neighbors, effectively transmitting energy through successive interactions. The speed at which these waves propagate depends on the properties of the medium, specifically its density and its ability to be compressed or stretched.123

In solids and liquids, particles are packed much more closely together than in gases. Because these particles are in closer proximity, they can transmit the vibrational energy of a sound wave to their neighbors more efficiently and rapidly.1

Mathematically, the speed of sound is related to the ratio of the medium's elastic properties—such as the bulk modulus or Young’s modulus—to its density. While solids and liquids are generally denser than gases, their significantly higher elastic moduli—which represent the material's resistance to deformation—allow sound to travel through them at much higher velocities.23