How well do you know the velocity of sound in air?

Velocity of Sound in Air and its Temperature Dependence

• The velocity of sound in air changes with temperature.
• When the temperature goes up, molecules move faster and the pressure goes up.
• The messaging of the wave goes much quicker when pressure goes up, and the response time of the wave to the air goes quicker.
• The equation for the speed of sound at zero degrees centigrade (273 Kelvin) is V=331 m/s.
• To calculate the speed of sound at a different temperature, we need to convert it to Kelvin and use the equation V=331 x (square root of T/273).
• At room temperature (20 degrees centigrade or 293 Kelvin), the speed of sound in air is 343 m/s.
• If lightning strikes about a mile away, it will take about five seconds for the sound to reach us.
• The speed barrier for breaking sound is around 700 miles per hour at room temperature.
• Most planes are not made to break the sound barrier.
• At temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees centigrade, the speed of sound is 299 m/s, and most passenger planes need to stay well below this speed.
• The speed of sound is important to consider in aviation and other fields.
• The equation for the speed of sound in air is V=331 x (square root of T/273).