

I have found different values for the speed of sound in water in different sources. Sound waves tend to travel faster at higher temperatures. The speed of sound can also be affected by temperature. The speed of sound in a medium can be determined by the equation … Water is much more dense than air, but since it is nearly incompressible the speed of sound is about four times faster in water than in air. The denser and the more compressible, the slower the sound waves would travel. Density is the amount of material in a given volume, and compressibility is a measure of how much a substance could be compacted for a given pressure. The speed of sound is determined by the density (ρ) and compressibility (K) of the medium. Sound travels at different speed in different media. They need a medium to propagate and will not travel through a vacuum. Sound is a type of longitudinal, mechanical wave. "Velocity of sound in some solids and liquids, Water 1450 m/s, 3240 miles/hour" Connecticut: Encyclopedia Americana, 1996: 241. "Water (distilled) 1498 m/s, Water (sea) 1531 m/s"Įncyclopedia Americana, Deluxe Library Edition.

"The speed of sound in various mediums, Distilled Water at 77 ☏ (25 ☌), 1496 m/s, 4908 ft/s"Ĭhin, George. In general, the speed of sound in a liquid is five times that in gases the speed. However, the nature of the medium will affect the speed of the sound waves. Sound waves can be transmitted by any medium containing particles that can vibrate. "Speed of Sound in Gas, Liquids, and Solids, Liquids, Fresh Water (20 ☌), 1482 m/s" Speed of sound Frequency of sound wave Wavelength. For further discussion on dispersion and the Kramers-Kronig relationship between phase velocity and attenuation, please refer to O'Donnell, Jaynes and Miller (1981).Cutnell, John D. There is little information on sound speed at much lower frequencies. All the empirical equations which are listed in this technical guide are based on this high-frequency data. The speed of sound in water is 1500 m/s.What was the depth of the sea Step 1: List the known. Most of the experimental results for sound speed in pure water which have been reported in the literature have been acquired at MHz frequencies only. The sound wave released from a ship took 0.12 seconds to return. Variations in density due to variations in isotopic composition of water can reach 20 p.p.m - leading to sound speed variations of up to 13 p.p.m. Marczak (1997) quoting Kell (1977) argues that an increase of 1.5 p.p.m in density (caused by the presence of deuterium oxide) results in an increase of 1 p.p.m in the speed of sound. It is also important to recognise that water may vary in density owing to variations in its isotopic composition.

They argue that the properties of lake water can be determined from the equation of state for sea water provided that the total mass fraction of dissolved salts in sea water and lake water are equated. However, some acousticians may agree with Marczak (1997) that:Ĭhen and Millero (1977) point out that lake water is by no means pure water, especially when precise pressure, volume and temperature properties are considered. For more information, please refer to the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (1995) and Saul and Wagner (1989). It is possible to calculate sound speeds from the thermodynamic equations for state for water and steam. (Necessary for Belogol’skii and Sekoyan equation only)Ī list of references can be found on the page Underlying Physics. The six alternatives are derived using equations from the sources specified. To use the calculator below, enter the values of water temperature, and if you wish to use the Belogol’skii and Sekovan equation you will need to enter pressure. This guide provides current information and equations for calculating the speed of sound in pure water as a function of temperature, and in the case of Begol’skii and Sekoyan’s equation, pressure.
