The speed of sound is faster or slower based the type of medium it is traveling through. The more dense a medium is (aka the more molecules a medium possesses) the faster sound will travel through it. For instance, if sound is traveling through water, air, and steel then it will travel fastest through steel, then water, and then air. Dominos can be used to represent molecules as an example. If one were to set up dominos to represent steel where they were close to each other in a straight line then all the dominos would be knocked down faster then if they were to spaced out to represent air. The velocities for several different mediums are listed below:
Vair=331.3m/s (0degrees C)
Vair=343 m/s (20degrees C)
Vsteel=5140m/s
Vwater(fresh)=1,500m/s
Vwater(salt)=1,449m/s
The velocity of air changes based on its current temperature. This is because the molecules are more dense in hot air than in cold air. The equation to find the velocity of air of a certain temperature is listed below:
Vair=331.3m/s+0.606(TdegreesC)
Vair=331.3m/s (0degrees C)
Vair=343 m/s (20degrees C)
Vsteel=5140m/s
Vwater(fresh)=1,500m/s
Vwater(salt)=1,449m/s
The velocity of air changes based on its current temperature. This is because the molecules are more dense in hot air than in cold air. The equation to find the velocity of air of a certain temperature is listed below:
Vair=331.3m/s+0.606(TdegreesC)