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king_2005
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If you shout across a canyon and hear the echo 0.80 second later, how wide is the canyon?
The speed of sound is the rate at which sound waves travel through a medium. It is typically measured in meters per second (m/s). The speed of sound varies depending on the medium, with sound traveling faster through denser materials. For example, sound travels faster through water than through air.
Temperature has a significant impact on the speed of sound. In general, the speed of sound increases as temperature increases. This is because sound waves travel faster through warmer air, which has a lower density than colder air. For every degree Celsius increase in temperature, the speed of sound increases by approximately 0.6 m/s.
The formula for calculating the speed of sound is: speed = √(γ * R * T), where γ is the ratio of specific heats for the medium, R is the gas constant, and T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin. For air at sea level, the value of γ is approximately 1.4 and R is 287 meters squared per second squared per Kelvin. Therefore, the speed of sound in air at sea level can be calculated using the formula: speed = √(1.4 * 287 * T).
Altitude also has an impact on the speed of sound. As altitude increases, the density of the air decreases, causing sound waves to travel slower. This is because there are fewer air molecules for the sound waves to travel through. As a result, the speed of sound at higher altitudes is lower than at lower altitudes.
The speed of sound has many practical applications, such as in aviation, where it is used to calculate the speed of an aircraft in relation to the speed of sound (known as Mach speed). It is also used in medical imaging techniques, such as ultrasound, where sound waves are used to create images of internal body structures. Additionally, the speed of sound is important in sound engineering, as it helps to determine the quality and clarity of sound in different environments.