![]() Materials with higher elastic properties allow sound to travel through them more easily than materials with lower elastic properties. This basically refers to how a material holds its shape when force is applied, if the material has high elastic properties then it is able to easily return to its normal shape after pressure is applied. If we take a look at hydrogen as an example, it is denser than oxygen and therefore allows the sound to travel faster. It is because of this that sound can travel faster in gases that are denser. The following factors also have an effect: Īs we mentioned above, the density of an object impacts the speed that sound can travel through it. The table clearly shows it is not just whether a material is solid or liquid that impacts the speed that sound can travel through it. Key Factors That Impact the Speed of Sound However, elastic properties and temperature also impact the speed that sound travels. This is why the speed of sound is faster in solids than in liquids and gases. If the molecules are further apart and less tightly bonded then it is harder for the sound to travel and as a result the sound travels slower. If the molecules are closer together then the sound can travel between them more easily and quickly. Sound is kinetic energy that is vibrating through molecules. So, why does sound travel at different speeds depending on the material? What is sound?įirst of all, we need to know what sound actually is to understand how it moves. The tables above display the speed of sound in liquid, gas and solid materials ranking from slowest to fastest.Īs you can see, there is a huge difference in how fast speed travels depending on the material, from 343 m/s through air to 1,493 m/s through water up to 12,000 m/s through diamond. So, how fast does sound travel through different materials? Let’s take a look! Gases Material Speed (m/s)ĩ72 m/s Hydrogen 1,286 m/s Liquids Material Speed (m/s) Mercury 1,450 m/s This is a very broad summary as it’s not only the type of material that makes a difference to the speed the sound is moving at the density, elastic property and even the temperature can have an impact too. This will be discussed in more detail on the next page.The speed that sound travels largely depends on the material type.įor example, sound waves travel fastest when they are moving through solids and tend to travel a lot slower when moving through gases and liquids. However, in gases, an increase in temperature causes the molecules to move faster and this account for the increase in the speed of sound. This doesn't seem right because the cooler air is more dense. The formula to find the speed of sound in air is as follows: This is faster than 331 meters per second, which is the speed of sound in air at freezing temperatures. The speed of sound in room temperature air is 346 meters per second. Since the molecules vibrate faster, sound waves can travel more quickly. Molecules at higher temperatures have more energy, thus they can vibrate faster. Heat, like sound, is a form of kinetic energy. Temperature is also a condition that affects the speed of sound. Observe the demonstrations below and explain the differences in the speed of sound when the temperature is changed.After reading this section you will be able to do the following: ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |