Effect of rain on velocity of sound

In summary: This decreases the distance that the sound can travel before it becomes too weak to hear.In summary, a 'cats & dogs' rain may not have a significant effect on the velocity of sound through air, but it can decrease the distance that sound can travel due to the scattering and absorption of sound waves by the raindrops. The speed of sound in air is primarily influenced by temperature and humidity, with the presence of water vapor having a greater impact than liquid raindrops.
  • #1
Ezio3.1415
159
1
I was suddenly asked this question by a friend...

How a 'cats & dogs' rain would affect the velocity of sound through air?(as we know velocity of sound through water is five times than in air)

I just couldn't be sure how to answer it... The raindrops are really small but there's a lot of them there... How big the effect could be?
 
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  • #2
Ezio3.1415 said:
I was suddenly asked this question by a friend...

How a 'cats & dogs' rain would affect the velocity of sound through air?(as we know velocity of sound through water is five times than in air)

I just couldn't be sure how to answer it... The raindrops are really small but there's a lot of them there... How big the effect could be?

I doubt it changes the velocity at all unless there's mist accompanying the rain. What it DOES change is the amount of sound that propagates over a given distance.
 
  • #3
The speed of sound depends mainly on temperature, but also on the humidity of the air. The sensitivity of the speed to humidity is also temperature dependent, which is not surprising since the fraction of water vapor in the air at "100% humidity" is very different at 0°C and 100°C. There is a graph here: http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/SpeedofSound.html

The basic cause is the change in average molecular weight of the air. The MW of dry air is about 29, but the MW of water vapor is only 18.

As phinds said, the liquid raindrops don't have much effect on the speed of sound, but they scatter and absorb the sound waves.
 
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What is the effect of rain on the velocity of sound?

The effect of rain on the velocity of sound is that it decreases the speed of sound. This is because the rain droplets in the air act as obstacles for the sound waves, causing them to scatter and slow down.

How does the temperature of rain affect the velocity of sound?

The temperature of rain can also affect the velocity of sound. In colder temperatures, sound travels slower as the air molecules are more closely packed together. Therefore, rain in colder temperatures can further decrease the velocity of sound.

Does the intensity of rain have an impact on the velocity of sound?

Yes, the intensity of rain can also affect the velocity of sound. Heavy rain can create more obstacles for sound waves to travel through, resulting in a greater decrease in velocity compared to light rain.

What is the relationship between humidity and the velocity of sound during rain?

Humidity can also play a role in the velocity of sound during rain. Higher humidity levels can cause sound to travel slower due to the water vapor in the air, which can hinder the movement of sound waves.

How does the distance of sound travel in rain compare to that in dry conditions?

The distance of sound travel is shorter in rain compared to dry conditions due to the decrease in velocity caused by the rain. This means that sound can only travel a shorter distance before it becomes inaudible during rain.

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