Dive Master Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Study Resource

Sound travels significantly faster in water compared to gas due to differences in density and elasticity. Water is much denser than air, which allows sound waves to propagate more efficiently through the medium. The speed of sound in water is approximately 1,480 meters per second, while in air, it is only about 343 meters per second at room temperature.

This increased speed is primarily due to water's higher bulk modulus, a measure of a substance's resistance to compression. In gases, molecules are farther apart and can move more freely, which results in sound traveling slower. In contrast, in liquids like water, molecules are more closely packed, facilitating quicker transmission of sound vibrations.

The other contexts presented do not accurately capture the comparison relevant to the question. Sound does not necessarily travel faster in deep water specifically, nor can it be generalized that sound travels faster in cold water, as temperature also affects the speed of sound but not as significantly as the comparison with gas. Comparisons with solids involve varying factors since the speed can differ widely depending on the material's density and elasticity, but typically sound does travel faster in solids than in both liquids and gases.