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The speed of sound refers to the velocity at which sound waves propagate through different materials. It is dependent on the density and elasticity of the medium through which it travels. For example, sound travels faster in solids than in liquids or gases due to their denser structure, which allows molecules to collide more quickly. The speed of sound is also influenced by temperature, with higher temperatures generally resulting in faster sound wave propagation. Scientists have expressed interest in the speed of sound as it indicates the transmission speed of a small disturbance through a gas medium, providing insights into the behaviour of sound waves.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates through an elastic medium. |
| Speed of sound in an ideal gas | Depends on its temperature and composition. |
| Speed of sound in air at 20°C | 343 m/s or 1,235 km/h or 767 mph |
| Speed of sound in air at 0°C | 331 m/s or 1,192 km/h or 740 mph |
| Speed of sound in air at 15°C | 761.2 mph or 1,225 km/h |
| Speed of sound in a vacuum | 0 m/s |
| Speed of sound in water | 1480 m/s |
| Speed of sound in seawater at 20-25°C | 1531 m/s |
| Speed of sound in solids | 6000 m/s |
| Speed of sound in steel | 5100 m/s |
| Speed of sound in diamonds | 35 times faster than in air |
| Speed of sound at high altitudes | 295 m/s or 1,060 km/h or 660 mph |
| Speed of sound at high temperatures | 355 m/s or 1,280 km/h or 790 mph |
| First calculation of speed of sound | Marin Mersenne in 1630 |
| First controlled flight to break the speed of sound | Chuck Yeager in 1947 |
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What You'll Learn
Speed of sound in air
The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates through an elastic medium. In simpler terms, it is the speed at which sound waves travel through different materials. The speed of sound is actually the speed of vibrations. Sound waves in solids are made up of compression waves and shear waves, which occur only in solids.
In Earth's atmosphere, the speed of sound varies from about 295 m/s (1,060 km/h; 660 mph) at high altitudes to around 355 m/s (1,280 km/h; 790 mph) at high temperatures. The speed of sound is dependent on the temperature of the air through which the sound moves. At 20 °C (68 °F), the speed of sound in air is approximately 343 m/s (1,125 ft/s; 1,235 km/h; 767 mph; 667 kn), or 1 km in 2.92 seconds or one mile in 4.69 seconds. At 0 °C (32 °F), the speed of sound in dry air is about 331 m/s (1,086 ft/s; 1,192 km/h; 740 mph; 643 kn).
The speed of sound also depends on the density and elasticity of the medium through which it travels. Generally, sound travels faster in liquids than in gases and quicker in solids than in liquids. The greater the elasticity and the lower the density, the faster sound moves in a medium. The density of a liquid is greater than the density of a gas, so the distance between molecules is greater in liquids than in solids but smaller than in gases. This means that the speed of sound in liquids is between the speed of sound in solids and gases. For example, the speed of sound in water is 1480 metres per second, while the speed of sound in air is 343.2 m/s.
The speed of sound was first calculated by Reverend William Derham in 1709, who published a measure of 1,072 Parisian feet per second. However, there were several earlier attempts to measure the speed of sound in the 17th century.
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How temperature affects speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates through an elastic medium. In simpler terms, it is how fast vibrations travel. The speed of sound is dependent on the temperature and the medium through which the sound wave is propagating. For example, at 20 °C (68 °F), the speed of sound in the air is about 343 m/s, whereas at 0 °C (32 °F), the speed of sound in dry air is approximately 331 m/s.
The speed of sound is faster in warmer air. This is because an increase in temperature causes the molecules in a gas to move faster, which leads to an increase in the speed of sound. However, it is important to note that sound travels faster in denser air, and cooler air is denser than warmer air. This is because denser substances have more mass per volume, resulting in stronger molecular bonds. Since sound is transmitted more easily between particles with strong bonds, it travels faster through denser air.
While temperature has a significant impact on the speed of sound, other factors also come into play, such as humidity and air pressure. Low humidity makes air less dense, allowing sound waves to move faster. Additionally, if the wind is blowing towards the observer, the speed of sound is perceived to be faster, and vice versa.
The speed of sound varies greatly depending on the medium through which it travels. Typically, sound travels most slowly in gases, faster in liquids, and fastest in solids. The speed of sound in solids is determined by the medium's compressibility, shear modulus, and density.
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The speed of sound in solids, liquids and gases
The speed of sound refers to the speed of sound waves as they propagate through an elastic medium. It is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave. Typically, sound travels most slowly in gases, faster in liquids, and at its fastest in solids.
In gases, sound consists of compression waves. The speed of sound in a gas depends on its temperature and composition. For instance, sound propagates faster in low molecular weight gases like helium than in heavier gases like xenon. In Earth's atmosphere, the speed of sound varies from 295 m/s at high altitudes to 355 m/s at high temperatures.
In liquids, particles are more loosely packed than in solids, and sound moves through them more slowly. At 20°C, the speed of sound in water is 1481 m/s, almost 4.3 times faster than in air.
In solids, sound waves propagate as two different types: longitudinal waves and transverse waves, or shear waves, which occur only in solids due to their ability to support elastic deformations. The speed of compression waves in solids depends on the medium's compressibility, shear modulus, and density. The speed of shear waves depends only on the solid material's shear modulus and density. Sound travels through solids at a much faster rate than in gases or liquids. For example, sound travels through iron at 5120 m/s, almost 15 times faster than in air. In exceptionally stiff materials like diamond, sound travels at about 12,000 m/s, around 35 times faster than in air.
The speed of sound has been a topic of interest for centuries, with early attempts to measure it accurately made in the 17th century by scientists such as Marin Mersenne and Sir Isaac Newton.
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Breaking the sound barrier
The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates through an elastic medium. In simpler terms, it is how fast vibrations travel. The speed of sound varies depending on the temperature and the medium through which the sound wave is propagating. For example, at 20°C (68°F), the speed of sound in the air is approximately 343 metres per second or 767 miles per hour.
The sound barrier, or sonic barrier, refers to the significant increase in aerodynamic drag and other adverse effects experienced by an aircraft or any other object when it approaches the speed of sound. As the plane approaches the speed of sound, it faces an invisible pressure barrier created by sound waves ahead of the plane. The compressed air in front of the aircraft exerts a much greater force on the plane than usual, resulting in a noticeable increase in drag. This gave rise to the concept of "breaking through" the sound barrier.
Historically, the term "sound barrier" came into use during World War II when pilots of high-speed fighter aircraft encountered a range of negative aerodynamic effects that hindered further acceleration, making it seem like there was a barrier at speeds close to the speed of sound. These effects led to the belief that there was a limit that aircraft could not surpass. However, on October 14, 1947, Captain Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier, flying faster than the speed of sound in the Bell X-1 aircraft.
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Historical attempts to measure the speed of sound
The first known attempt to measure the speed of sound was made by French scientist and philosopher Pierre Gassendi in the 17th century. Gassendi's method involved measuring the time difference between seeing a flash of gunfire and hearing its sound over a long distance on a still day. He calculated that sound travelled through air at over 1,000 miles per hour, a figure that was too high. This was due to the reaction time of the human observer, which was later rectified by French scientist Henri Regnault in 1864.
In the same century, Marin Mersenne found two values for the speed of sound. By measuring the time between seeing the flash of a gun and hearing its sound over a known distance, he found a value of 1,380 Parisian feet per second (448 m/s). However, when he measured the time between firing a gun and hearing its echo from a reflecting surface, he found 970 Parisian feet per second. Most subsequent experimenters used only his first method.
In the 1650s, Italian physicists Giovanni Alfonso Borelli and Vincenzo Viviani obtained a value of 350 metres per second using the same technique as Gassendi. In 1709, Reverend William Derham published a more precise measure of 1,072 Parisian feet per second.
In 1738, the Academy of Sciences in Paris used cannons as a source of sound and found that when there is no wind, the speed of sound at 0°C was 332 m/s, within 1% of the modern accepted value. In 1740, G. L. Bianconi demonstrated that the speed of sound in air increases with temperature.
In 1808, Jean-Baptiste Biot, a French physicist, conducted direct measurements of the speed of sound in 1,000 metres of iron pipe by comparing it with the speed of sound in air. He found that the speed of sound in iron was about 10.5 times that of air.
The first measurement of the speed of sound in water was conducted by Jean-Daniel Colladon, a Swiss physicist, and Charles-Francois Sturm in 1826 on Lake Geneva. They were on two boats separated by 10km. Colladon repeatedly ignited gunpowder and rang a bell underwater, while Sturm listened for the bell with an underwater tube and measured the time until the sound was heard. They found a value of 1437.8 m/s in water at 8°C, differing from the modern value by only 1 m/s.
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Frequently asked questions
The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it moves through an elastic medium. In simpler terms, it is how fast vibrations travel.
The speed of sound depends on the temperature of the air through which the sound moves. At 20°C, the speed of sound in air is about 343 m/s or 767 mph. At 0°C, this drops to about 331 m/s or 740 mph.
At high altitudes, the speed of sound is about 295 m/s (660 mph), while at lower altitudes, it can be as high as 355 m/s (790 mph).
Objects moving at supersonic speeds are travelling faster than the speed of sound, also known as Mach 1. Chuck Yeager was the first person to break the sound barrier in 1947.
