The speed of sound travels fastest through solids, followed by liquids, and then gases. This is because the molecules in a solid are packed more closely together than the molecules in a liquid or gas, so there is less space for the sound waves to travel. The closer the molecules are together, the faster the sound waves can travel.
In a solid, the molecules are held in place by strong bonds. This means that they cannot move very far from their original position. When a sound wave travels through a solid, the molecules vibrate back and forth, but they do not move very far. This allows the sound wave to travel quickly through the solid.
In a liquid, the molecules are not held in place by strong bonds. This means that they can move around more freely. When a sound wave travels through a liquid, the molecules vibrate back and forth, and they also move around a little bit. This makes it slower for the sound wave to travel through the liquid than through a solid.
In a gas, the molecules are very far apart and they move around very quickly. When a sound wave travels through a gas, the molecules vibrate back and forth, but they also move around a lot. This makes it very slow for the sound wave to travel through a gas.
Therefore, the speed of sound travels fastest through solids, followed by liquids, and then gases.