Compared to other mediums like liquids and solids, sound does travel slower through air. The speed of sound is determined by the properties of the medium it is traveling through, such as its density and elasticity.
In general, the speed of sound in air at room temperature is approximately 343 meters per second (or about 1,125 feet per second). However, this speed can vary slightly depending on factors like temperature, humidity, and air pressure.
In comparison, sound travels faster in denser mediums. For instance, sound travels faster through water, with a speed of about 1,480 meters per second (or about 4,850 feet per second), which is more than four times faster than in air. Similarly, sound travels even faster through solids, such as steel or rock, due to their high density and elasticity.
It's important to note that although sound travels slower through air compared to other mediums, it is still relatively fast in human-scale terms. However, the speed of sound becomes more noticeable in situations where we can observe the delay between seeing an event occur and hearing the associated sound, such as thunder following a lightning strike at a distance.