<P> In common everyday speech , speed of sound refers to the speed of sound waves in air . However , the speed of sound varies from substance to substance : sound travels most slowly in gases ; it travels faster in liquids ; and faster still in solids . For example , ( as noted above ) , sound travels at 343 m / s in air ; it travels at 1,484 m / s in water ( 4.3 times as fast as in air ) ; and at 5,120 m / s in iron ( about 15 times as fast as in air ) . In an exceptionally stiff material such as diamond , sound travels at 12,000 metres per second ( 26,843 mph ) ; ( about 35 times as fast as in air ) which is around the maximum speed that sound will travel under normal conditions . </P>
where does sound travel fastest solid liquid or gas
solids