What is a typical effect of sound waves traveling through a denser medium?

Sound waves generally travel faster in denser media than in less dense media. This characteristic is due to the molecular structure and arrangement of the particles in the medium. In denser materials, molecules are packed more closely together, allowing sound waves, which are mechanical vibrations, to transmit more effectively from one particle to the next. This increased interaction among the closely packed molecules facilitates a quicker transfer of energy, resulting in faster sound propagation.

In contrast, when sound waves travel through gases, which are less dense compared to liquids or solids, the sound tends to travel slower because the molecules are farther apart, making it less efficient for vibrations to pass between them. Sound cannot travel through a vacuum at all due to the absence of any molecules to carry the wave; thus, it would not be accurate to say that sound travels slower in denser media or does not travel in certain conditions. Likewise, absorption of sound does occur depending on the material's characteristics but is not inherently determined by density alone, which makes the provided answer accurate in the context of sound wave propagation through different media.