Question about the Speed of Sound

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the speed of sound, specifically questioning why louder sounds do not seem to travel faster than quieter sounds. Participants explore the factors that influence the speed of sound, including the medium through which it travels and the conditions affecting its propagation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about why louder sounds do not travel faster than quieter sounds, suggesting a need for clarification.
  • Another participant claims that louder sounds do travel faster, but notes that typical sound volumes do not significantly affect the speed of sound.
  • A participant questions the basis of the defined speed of sound, asking whether it is an average speed or specific to a particular sound.
  • One participant reiterates that the speed of sound is influenced by the medium and conditions such as density and temperature, providing examples of varying speeds in different gases and environments.
  • References to external sources, such as Wikipedia, are suggested for further learning about the speed of sound.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether louder sounds travel faster than quieter sounds, with conflicting viewpoints presented. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the influence of sound volume on speed.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the speed of sound is not constant and varies based on factors such as the medium, density, and temperature, but do not resolve the implications of these variations on the original question about sound volume.

Vorde
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Operating on what I have been taught (that sound is the vibration of the air and that particles compress, then expand, then bump into others which compress, hence waves), I don't see why louder sound doesn't travel faster than slower sound?

Can anyone help me with this?
 
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It actually does. However, pretty much all sound is quiet enough so that the speed of sound doesn't change very much for any reasonable volume. Extremely loud sound would travel faster than the "speed of sound" though.
 
Do you happen to know on what basis the speed of sound as defined is? Is it just the average speed or is it the precise speed of a particular sound.
 
cjl said:
It actually does. However, pretty much all sound is quiet enough so that the speed of sound doesn't change very much for any reasonable volume. Extremely loud sound would travel faster than the "speed of sound" though.

ohhh yeah ??

do you have any references for that please ?

everything I have ever read indicates that the only thing that affects the speed of sound is the medium that it traveling through.


Dave
 
Last edited:
Vorde said:
Do you happen to know on what basis the speed of sound as defined is? Is it just the average speed or is it the precise speed of a particular sound.

its speed is not constant, for the reason I stated in my last post.
its different in different pure gasses, in water, in the atmosphere and even then depends on the air density and temperature. More dense at the Earth's surface than at say 5km altitude.
it has a different speed through the earth.
Seismologists use sound waves to determine depth, thickness and type of rock layers below the surface of the ground.

a good place to learn some basics is from wikipedia...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound

cheers
Dave
 

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