Speed of Sound
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Speed of Sound in Air

Speed of Sound in Air

Below is an interactive table that will calculate the speed of sound at various temperatures. It was created by:

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/souspe.html#c1

The speed of sound in dry air is given approximately by

where TC is the celsius temperature,

so that at temperature C = F,

the speed of sound is m/s = ft/s = mi/hr.

"This calculation is usually accurate enough, but for great precision one must examine the more general relationship for sound speed in gases. This sound speed does not apply to gases other than air, for example the helium from a balloon.It is important to note that the sound speed in air is determined by the air itself. It is not dependent upon the sound amplitude, frequency or wavelength." http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/souspe.html#c1

 

Typical values for elastic modulus:

Aluminum 7.0*10^10, Steel 20*10^10, Copper 11*10^10, Brass 9.1*10^10

Densities of Various Substances: (10^3 kg/m^3)

Cooper 8.92, Air 0.0012, Aluminum 2.70

Serway*Beichner Physics for scientists and Engineers

The speed of sound in air is a function of the temperature, although the speed of a wave is given by the product of its wavelength and the frequency, it is not affected by the charges in either one.

Serway*Beichner Physics for scientists and Engineers

For example, if the sound from a musical instrument increases in frequency the wavelength decreases, so velocity remains constant. The amplitude of a sound wave determines the size of oscillations of air molecules. Which does now affect the speed of the wave through the air.

Speed of sound in a solid

v=sq root (Y/p)

Y=Young's Modulus (N/m^2) for a substance

p=Densities of various substances

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