13.2 Speed of Sound
Sound waves require a medium with vibrating particles to travel and cannot propagate through a vacuum. The speed of sound varies with the type of medium. It moves about 5 times faster in liquids and 15 times faster in solids than in gases. In air, factors like temperature and humidity affect its speed. At room temperature (21 °C), sound travels at 343 m s⁻¹ in air, increasing with higher temperature and humidity.
The speed of sound v is calculated using:
v = f λ
where v is the speed of sound, f is the frequency, and λ is the wavelength of the sound wave.