Temperature & Sound: Does Hotter Equal Louder?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between temperature and sound, specifically whether higher temperatures correlate with louder sounds. Participants explore how temperature affects sound transmission in gases, sound speed, and the conditions under which sound may be perceived as louder.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that higher temperatures lead to louder sounds, seeking clarification on the topic.
  • Another participant counters that colder, denser air transmits sound more effectively than hotter air, but acknowledges that a more energetic explosion at higher temperatures could produce louder sounds.
  • A different participant notes that sound travels faster with increasing temperature, proportional to the square root of the temperature in Kelvin.
  • Further discussion raises the question of why sound might be perceived differently in cooler versus warmer temperatures, particularly in relation to different sound sources like dropping a brick versus lighting firecrackers.
  • Another participant emphasizes that sound travels more energetically in denser media, such as water, and reiterates that sounds are generally louder in colder air.
  • A technical explanation is provided regarding the definition of sound speed in gases, indicating that it depends on more than just density and is influenced by temperature.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between temperature and sound loudness, with some arguing that colder air transmits sound better while others suggest that the energy of the sound source at higher temperatures can lead to louder sounds. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various factors affecting sound transmission, such as density and the nature of the sound source, but do not reach a consensus on the overall relationship between temperature and perceived loudness.

Wax
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I was wondering how temperature can affect sound? I'm assuming the hotter the temperature then the louder the sound? Is this correct? Does anyone have a link that I could read more on this subject?
 
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In general terms, you have that backward. Colder, and therefore denser, air transmits sound more effectively than hotter air.
If, on the other hand, you refer to a higher temperature, and thus more engergetic, explosion that initiates the sound wave, then you are correct.
 
If you mean transmission of sound in gases, then it's also worth pointing out that sound travels faster with increasing temperature (other things being constant). It's proportional to the square root of the temperature in kelvin.
 
Danger said:
In general terms, you have that backward. Colder, and therefore denser, air transmits sound more effectively than hotter air.
If, on the other hand, you refer to a higher temperature, and thus more engergetic, explosion that initiates the sound wave, then you are correct.

Interesting, why is there a difference? So if I drop a brick then it would be louder in cooler temperatures? On the other hand, if I light firecrackers then the sound would be louder in warmer temperatures?
 
Wax said:
Interesting, why is there a difference? So if I drop a brick then it would be louder in cooler temperatures? On the other hand, if I light firecrackers then the sound would be louder in warmer temperatures?

Not quite. Sound travels more 'energetically' in a dense medium, which is why you hear better under water. You will hear any sound louder in colder air.
My reference to temperature of an explosion referred simply to the fact a higher temperature of conflagration results in a more energetic pressure wave.
 
For sound speed in gases you have to take more than just density into account. The definition of sound speed is

c = \sqrt{\left(\frac{\partial P}{\partial \rho}\right)_{s}}

which, for an ideal gas, becomes

c = \sqrt{R\ T \frac{C_{p}}{C_{v}}

So Stonebridge was correct when saying that the sound speed in air will increase with the square root of the air temperature.
 

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