That is due to the molecules being a lot less rigid in liquids and gases which causes a decrease in the elastic properties of those materials. The speed of sound travelling through gases and liquids is considerably slower than the majority of solids we have listed. The sound has travelled faster through air because the increased temperature has increased the vibrations of the molecules.
Therefore, when the temperature is higher in gases sound is able to travel faster.Īt -1 degree Celsius sound travels at 330.4 m/s, at 21 degree Celsius sound travels at 343.6 m/s and at 45 degrees Celsius sound travels at 358 m/s. We have mentioned that sound travels faster when molecules are closer together so surely that means colder gases allow sound to travel faster than warmer gases, right?Īlthough theoretically when gas is colder it brings molecules closer together which should make it easier and quicker for the sound to travel, a temperature increase causes increased vibrations and this movement of the molecules that occurs in hotter gases actually allows sound to travel more quickly. This depends on the material group as gases tend to behave a little differently when it comes to temperature. Įarlier we mentioned that temperature can also impact the speed of sound. It is more likely that materials with lower elastic properties will absorb the sound rather than carry it.Īs an example, lead has high elastic properties compared to rubber and therefore allows the sound to travel much faster. Materials with higher elastic properties allow sound to travel through them more easily than materials with lower elastic properties. This basically refers to how a material holds its shape when force is applied, if the material has high elastic properties then it is able to easily return to its normal shape after pressure is applied. If we take a look at hydrogen as an example, it is denser than oxygen and therefore allows the sound to travel faster. It is because of this that sound can travel faster in gases that are denser. The following factors also have an effect: Īs we mentioned above, the density of an object impacts the speed that sound can travel through it. The table clearly shows it is not just whether a material is solid or liquid that impacts the speed that sound can travel through it. Key Factors That Impact the Speed of Sound
However, elastic properties and temperature also impact the speed that sound travels. This is why the speed of sound is faster in solids than in liquids and gases. If the molecules are further apart and less tightly bonded then it is harder for the sound to travel and as a result the sound travels slower. If the molecules are closer together then the sound can travel between them more easily and quickly. Sound is kinetic energy that is vibrating through molecules. So, why does sound travel at different speeds depending on the material? What is sound?įirst of all, we need to know what sound actually is to understand how it moves. The tables above display the speed of sound in liquid, gas and solid materials ranking from slowest to fastest.Īs you can see, there is a huge difference in how fast speed travels depending on the material, from 343 m/s through air to 1,493 m/s through water up to 12,000 m/s through diamond. So, how fast does sound travel through different materials? Let’s take a look! Gases Material Speed (m/s)ĩ72 m/s Hydrogen 1,286 m/s Liquids Material Speed (m/s) Mercury 1,450 m/s This is a very broad summary as it’s not only the type of material that makes a difference to the speed the sound is moving at the density, elastic property and even the temperature can have an impact too. The speed that sound travels largely depends on the material type.įor example, sound waves travel fastest when they are moving through solids and tend to travel a lot slower when moving through gases and liquids.
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