Speed of Sound Calculator

The speed of sound calculator finds the speed at which sound waves travel in a given medium under a specific heat condition. It determines how temperature changes can impact the speed of sound in water or air.

What Is The Speed of Sound?

Speed of sound mph is defined as;

Speed of sound is influenced by both the temperature as well as the medium through which a sound wave is traveled. At the temperature of 20 °C, the sound waves traveled at a speed of about 343 m/s or one km in 2.91s or 1 mile in 4.69s

How To Calculate The Speed of Sound?

The speed of sound in mph can be calculated using the formula:

v = \sqrt{\frac{\gamma \cdot P}{\rho}}

• v = Speed of sound
• γ = Heat capacity ratio of the medium (approximately 1.4 for air)
• P = Pressure of the medium
• ρ = Density of the medium

Speed of Sound In Water:

If you need to find the speed of sound in water at sea level, you can use the formula.

v = \sqrt{\frac{B}{\rho}}

Where:

• B = Bulk modulus of elasticity of water
• ρ = Density of water

At the water temperature of 20 °C, the speed of sound in water is approximately;

1481 m/s
5332 km/h
4859 ft/s
3313 mph

Speed of Sound In Air:

Air can be considered nearly the ideal gas. The formula below helps to manually find the speed of sound in dry air under standard atmospheric conditions.

v = \sqrt{\gamma \cdot R \cdot T}

Where:

• γ = Heat capacity ratio of the medium (approximately 1.4 for air)
• R = Specific gas constant for dry air, approximately 287 J/(kg·K)
• T = Absolute temperature of the air in Kelvin

At the air temperature of 20 °C, the speed of sound in dry air is approximately;

343.14 m/s
1235.3 km/h
1125.8 ft/s
767.6 mph

How To Use Speed of Sound Calculator?

Required Entities:

• Put the temperature of the air
• By selecting the unit, enter the temperature of the water.
• Press on “calculate”

Additional Questions:

How Fast Can Sound Travel In mph?

760 mph

At sea level, the speed of sound is approximately 760 miles per hour or 1100 feet per second.

Why Sound Moves Faster In Water Than In Air?

The speed of sound is faster in water than in air. In water, sound travels at a speed of approximately 1500 m/s, and in the air is about 340 m/s. This is because the mechanical properties of water are much different than the air.

Which Factors Affect Speed of Sound?

The speed of sound can vary with the following factors:

• Temperature & Pressure
• Medium & Altitude
• Density & Humidity
• Elasticity & stiffness
• Adiabatic Index
• Molecular weight