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The speed of sound in air is around 768 mi/hr (1,125 ft/sec, 343m/sec), or about
5 seconds per mile (3 seconds per kilometer). That is the reason for the rule of
thumb where when you see a flash of lightning, count the number of seconds until
you hear the thunder clap, then divide by five. That gives you the approximate distance
(in miles) away of the lightning. Divide by three for kilometers. Most of this data
came from my hard copy of the 51st Edition of the CRC Handbook of Chemistry
and Physics. See also Velocity of Sound
in Dry Air.
The speed of sound in any medium is dependent upon the coefficient of stiffness
(modulus of bulk elasticity for gas mediums). Density and/or compressibility alone
does not determine the speed of sound.
Vl = Velocity of plane longitudinal wave in bulk
material.
Vs = Velocity of plane transverse (shear) wave.
Vext = Velocity of longitudinal wave (extensional
wave) in thin rods.
| |
|
|
|
| Aluminum, rolled |
2.7 |
6420 |
3040 |
5000 |
| Berylium |
1.87 |
12890 |
8880 |
12870 |
| Brass (70 Cu, 30 Zn) |
8.6 |
4700 |
2110 |
3480 |
| Copper, annealed |
8.93 |
4760 |
2325 |
3810 |
| Copper, rolled |
8.93 |
5010 |
2270 |
3750 |
| Gold, hard-drawn |
19.7 |
3240 |
1200 |
2030 |
| Iron, Armco |
7.85 |
5960 |
3240 |
5200 |
| Lead, annealed |
11.4 |
2160 |
700 |
1190 |
| Lead, rolled |
11.4 |
1960 |
690 |
1210 |
| Molybdenum |
10.1 |
6250 |
3350 |
5400 |
| Monel metal |
8.90 |
5350 |
2720 |
4400 |
| Nickel (unmagnetized) |
8.85 |
5480 |
2990 |
4800 |
| Nickel |
8.9 |
6040 |
3000 |
4900 |
| Platinum |
21.4 |
3260 |
1730 |
2800 |
| Silver |
10.4 |
3650 |
1610 |
2680 |
| Steel, mild |
7.85 |
5960 |
3235 |
5200 |
| Steel, 347 Stainless |
7.9 |
5790 |
3100 |
5000 |
| Tin, rolled |
7.3 |
3320 |
1670 |
2730 |
| Titanium |
4.5 |
6070 |
3125 |
5080 |
| Tungsten, annealed |
19.3 |
5220 |
2890 |
4620 |
| Tungsten Carbide |
13.8 |
6655 |
3980 |
6220 |
| Zinc, rolled |
7.1 |
4210 |
2440 |
3850 |
| |
|
|
|
| Fused silica |
2.2 |
5968 |
3764 |
5760 |
| Glass, Pyrex |
2.32 |
5640 |
3280 |
5170 |
| Glass, heavy silicate flint |
3.88 |
3980 |
2380 |
3720 |
| Lucite |
1.18 |
2680 |
1100 |
1840 |
| Nylon 6-6 |
1.11 |
2620 |
1070 |
1800 |
| Polyethylene |
0.90 |
1950 |
540 |
920 |
| Polystyrene |
1.06 |
2350 |
1120 |
2240 |
| Rubber, butyl |
1.07 |
1830 |
|
|
| Rubber, gum |
0.95 |
1550 |
|
|
| Rubber neoprene |
1.33 |
1600 |
|
|
| Brick |
1.8 |
|
|
3650 |
| Clay rock |
2.2 |
|
|
3480 |
| Cork |
0.25 |
|
|
500 |
| Marble |
2.6 |
|
|
3810 |
| Paraffin |
0.9 |
|
|
1300 |
| Tallow |
|
|
|
390 |
| |
|
|
|
| Ash, along the fiber |
|
|
|
4670 |
| Beech, along the fiber |
|
|
|
3340 |
| Elm, along the fiber |
|
|
|
4120 |
| Maple, along the fiber |
|
|
|
4110 |
| Oak, along the fiber |
|
|
|
3850 |
| Human Body Tissues |
|
|
|
|
| Soft Tissue |
|
|
|
|
| Acetone |
C3H60 |
0.79 |
1174 |
4.5 |
| Benzene |
C6H6 |
0.870 |
1295 |
4.65 |
| Carbon tetrachloride |
CCl4 |
1.595 |
926 |
2.7 |
| Castor oil |
C11H10O10 |
0.969 |
1477 |
3.6 |
| Chloroform |
CHCl3 |
1.49 |
987 |
3.4 |
| Ethanol amide |
C2H7NO |
1.018 |
1724 |
3.4 |
| Ethyl ether |
C4H10O |
0.713 |
985 |
4.87 |
| Ethylene glycol |
C2H6O2 |
1.113 |
1658 |
2.1 |
| Glycerol |
C3H8O3 |
1.26 |
1904 |
2.2 |
| Kerosene |
|
0.81 |
1324 |
3.6 |
| Mercury |
Hg |
13.5 |
1450 |
|
| Methanol |
CH4O |
0.791 |
1103 |
3.2 |
| Turpentine |
|
0.88 |
1255 |
|
| Water (distilled) |
H2O |
0.998 |
1496.7 |
-2.4 |
| |
|
|
|
| Air, dry |
|
1.293 |
331.45 |
0.59 |
| Ammonia |
NH3 |
0.771 |
415 |
|
| Argon |
Ar |
1.783 |
319 (at 20°C) |
0.56 |
| Carbon monoxide |
CO |
1.25 |
338 |
0.6 |
| Carbon dioxide |
CO2 |
1.977 |
259 |
0.4 |
| Chlorine |
CL2 |
3.214 |
206 |
|
| Deuterium |
D2 |
|
890 |
1.6 |
| Ethane (10°C) |
C2H6 |
1.356 |
308 |
|
| Ethylene |
C2H4 |
1.260 |
317 |
|
| Helium |
He |
0.178 |
965 |
0.8 |
| Hydrogen |
H2 |
0.0899 |
1284 |
2.2 |
| Hydrogen chloride |
HCl |
1.639 |
296 |
|
| Methane |
CH4 |
0.7168 |
430 |
|
| Neon |
Ne |
0.900 |
435 |
0.8 |
| Nitric oxide (10°C) |
NO |
1.34 |
324 |
|
| Nitrogen |
N2 |
1.251 |
334 |
0.6 |
| Nitrous oxide |
N2O |
1.977 |
263 |
0.5 |
| Oxygen |
O2 |
1.429 |
316 |
0.56 |
| Sulfur dioxide |
SO2 |
2.927 |
213 |
0.47 |
| |
|
|
|
| Acetone |
C3H6O |
|
239 |
0.32 |
| Benzene |
C6H6 |
|
202 |
0.3 |
| Carbon tetrachloride |
CCl4 |
|
145 |
|
| Chloroform |
CHCl3 |
|
171 |
0.24 |
| Ethanol |
C2H6O |
|
269 |
0.4 |
| Ethyl ether |
C4H10O |
|
206 |
0.3 |
| Methanol |
CH4O |
|
335 |
0.46 |
| Water vapor (134°C) |
H2O |
|
494 |
0.46 |
| Soft Tissues |
1540 |
| Brain |
1541 |
| Liver |
1549 |
| Kidney |
1561 |
| Blood |
1570 |
| Muscle |
1585 |
| Lens of Eye |
1620 |
| Skull Bone |
4080 |
| Water |
1540 |
|
