What property of water allows sound to travel faster through it than in air?

Sound travels faster through water than through air primarily due to the property of elasticity. Elasticity refers to the ability of a medium to return to its original shape after being deformed. In fluids, this property is crucial because it determines how quickly sound waves can transmit energy through the medium.

In water, the molecules are more closely packed than in air, which enhances the medium's ability to transmit sound. This means that when a sound wave is generated, the vibrations can quickly propagate from one molecule to the next in water, resulting in a higher speed of sound compared to the less densely packed air molecules.

While other properties like density also play a role in sound propagation, it is the elasticity of water that has a more significant impact on the speed of sound. Water's greater elastic properties allow for quicker transmission of sound waves, which is why sound is notably faster in water than in air. Viscosity and temperature also influence sound transmission in complex ways but are not the primary factors in this specific context.