Speed of sound in different media at 25 degree Celsius
Last updated on November 9th, 2023 at 03:18 pm
Sound travels at a speed that is much less than the speed of light.
The speed of sound depends on the properties of the medium through which it travels. The speed of sound in a medium depends on the temperature of the medium. [ see more: how speed of sound changes with temperature change]
- The speed of sound decreases when we go from a solid to a gaseous state.
In any medium as we increase the temperature, the speed of sound increases. - For example, the speed of sound in air is 331 m/s at 0 oC and 344 m/s at 22 oC.
The speeds of sound at a particular temperature in various media are listed in Table 1.
| State | Substance | Speed (m/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Solids | Aluminium | 6420 |
| Nickel | 6040 | |
| Steel | 5960 | |
| Iron | 5950 | |
| Brass | 4700 | |
| Glass (Flint) | 3980 | |
| Liquids | Water (Sea) | 1531 |
| Water (distilled) | 1498 | |
| Ethanol | 1207 | |
| Methanol | 1103 | |
| Gases | Hydrogen | 1284 |
| Helium | 965 | |
| Air | 346 | |
| Oxygen | 316 | |
| Sulphur dioxide | 213 |