ChatterBank1 min ago
the speed of sound
10 Answers
the americans broke the sound barrier at around 660mph in the air.
Britain broke the sound barrier at 763mph on the ground with Thrust SSC.
why is there NO set speed for sound ? even on the day Thrust set the record, his speed could have been faster or slower and still have broken the sound barrier. i know its partly to do with atmospheric pressure and moisture in the air, but i cant work the maths !
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.It's not easy. You can google for equations to give the speed for a various parameters. Basically the denser a medium is, the faster the speed of sound. In air at sea level its about 700mph. At higher altitudes the air is less dense, so its slower. Put a bit of moisture in the air (increase density), it will increase. For a totally 'wet' environment, the speed in water is about 3500mph.
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It's never constant, except for in a pure vacuum. But many times it can pretty much be taken as constant, without much change in the stuff you're trying to work out.
wikipedia gives a good explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound
wikipedia gives a good explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound