What is the speed of sound?
The speed of sound varies depending on altitude, temperature and the medium through which it travels. For example, at sea level in a standard atmosphere, at a temperature of 59-degrees Fahrenheit (15 Celsius), sound travels 761 miles per hour (1,225 km/p/h). The speed at which sound travels in a given medium under specified conditions. The speed of sound at sea level in the International Standard Atmosphere is 1108 ft/second, 658 knots, 1215 km/hour. See also hypersonic; sonic; subsonic; supersonic; transonic. On Earth, the speed of sound at sea level — assuming an air temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) — is 761.2 mph (1,225 km/h). Because gas molecules move more slowly at colder temperatures, that slows the speed of sound; sound moves faster through warmer air. The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. The SI unit of speed is the metre per second (m/s). In dry air at 20 °C, the speed of sound is 343.2 metres per second (1,126 ft/s). At a temperature of 32-degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius) the speed of sound drops to 742 mph (1,194 km/p/h). In altitudes above sea level the speed of sound is again different and will vary depending on prevailing factors. The reason for this variance is that sound waves travel by exciting molecules. These 10 facts about space will blow your mind. The speed of sound varies depending on altitude, temperature and the medium through which it travels. For example, at sea level in a standard atmosphere, at a temperature of 59-degrees Fahrenheit (15 Celsius), sound travels 761 miles per hour (1,225 km/p/h). The speed of sound varies depending on the temperature of the air through which the sound moves. On Earth, the speed of sound at sea level — assuming an air temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) — is 761.2 mph (1,225 km/h). Simply put, the denser the material the faster the sound waves travel. The speed of sound through air at ground level is approximately 760 mph, or approximately 1100 feet per second. The old lightning/thunder trick offers a good example. For approximately every five seconds the sound travels is one mile. The SI unit of speed is the metre per second (m/s). In dry air at 20 °C, the speed of sound is 343.2 metres per second (1,126 ft/s). This is 1,236 kilometres per hour (768 mph; 667 kn), or a kilometre in 2.914 s or a mile in 4.689 s. Sir Isaac Newton computed the speed of sound in air as 979 feet per second (298 m/s), which is too low by about 15%, but had neglected the effect of fluctuating temperature; that was later rectified by Laplace.
742 mph (1,194 km/p/h). 