technoguy

The speed at which sound travels depends on the medium through which the sound waves pass, and is often quoted as a fundamental property of the material. In general, the speed of sound is proportional to the square root of the ratio of the stiffness of the medium and its density. Those physical properties and the speed of sound change with ambient conditions. For example, the speed of sound in air and other gases depends on temperature. In air, the speed of sound is approximately 345 ms-1, in water 1500 ms-1 and in a bar of steel 5000 ms-1.