If you have never thought about why lightning is faster than thunder, then it's time to learn about the meaning of the speed of sound. The fact is that this parameter is not constant, since it depends on the propagation conditions. However, finding out what the speed of sound is is not so difficult.
Everyone knows that we hear vibrations in the air. The latter is understood as a mixture of substances in which oxygen predominates. There are special tables that indicate the values \u200b\u200bof the desired quantities. For example, the answer to the question "what is the speed of sound in air" is almost always the same. This value fluctuates within 320 plus or minus 5 meters per second. In gases, vibrations propagate more slowly than in solids and liquids. This is due solely to the distance between neighboring elements. It is clear that the molecules that form the volatile substance are located at relatively large distances from each other. In order to transmit vibrations, it is necessary to come into contact with a certain amount of matter per cubic meter. The greater the density of the body, the less energy is needed to transfer information from one particle to another. Now you understand that the answer to the question of whetherwhat is the speed of sound, lies not on the surface.
The fastest supplier of air signals is carbon. As many as eighteen kilometers per second can fluctuate in this medium. However, this is still slower than the propagation of light. That is why thunder is heard after lightning. By the way, why do you need to know what the speed of sound is? For example, in cloudy weather you see a characteristic flash of light. To calculate how far lightning struck, it is enough to calculate the time after the flash. The conditional length of the path to your ears can be calculated using the formula l \u003d 300t, where l is the distance. But it is worth understanding that, firstly, the sound comes from the clouds. Therefore, relatively speaking, the waves reach the hypotenuse of a right triangle. Secondly, in such cases, with strong winds, both interference and auxiliary conditions for the propagation of oscillatory processes can arise. That is why the above formula is very generalized, but relatively useful for fans of any calculations.
No less interesting is the question of what is the speed of sound in water? As already discussed, it is higher than in some gases. In an ordinary s alty sea, this value reaches 1500 m/s. If we take a distilled product, which has a lower density, we will get a lower value. The speed of sound in water can be used to determine the distance to an approaching ship. During the war, submarines were guided by varioussound vibrations in the marine environment. Sailors were able to calculate, for example, the depth of immersion and other parameters.
Thus, you got the answer to the question, what is the speed of sound. In the most ordinary life, this value reaches about 300 m / s. But in scientific activities, such as physical chemistry, in the invention of various devices, in order to increase their internal speed of sound, various gases are used. That is why knowledge of this parameter is useful not only for solving school problems, but also for more important matters.
