Asked by violet
Which factors affect the speed of sound?
type and volume of medium
temperature and type of medium
volume and temperature of medium
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
"temperature and type of medium" is correct.
Explanation (brief):
- The speed of sound depends on the medium's mechanical properties (type): its stiffness/elasticity (bulk modulus, Young's modulus) and its density. Different materials (air, water, steel) therefore give very different speeds.
- In gases the speed also depends on temperature: v = sqrt(γRT/M) (so v ∝ sqrt(T) for an ideal gas). For solids and liquids v ≈ sqrt(elastic modulus / density).
- The absolute volume of the medium (e.g., size of the container) does not directly set the speed of sound (only alters it if it changes density, temperature, or elastic properties).
Explanation (brief):
- The speed of sound depends on the medium's mechanical properties (type): its stiffness/elasticity (bulk modulus, Young's modulus) and its density. Different materials (air, water, steel) therefore give very different speeds.
- In gases the speed also depends on temperature: v = sqrt(γRT/M) (so v ∝ sqrt(T) for an ideal gas). For solids and liquids v ≈ sqrt(elastic modulus / density).
- The absolute volume of the medium (e.g., size of the container) does not directly set the speed of sound (only alters it if it changes density, temperature, or elastic properties).
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