3.6.3
Speed of Sound
Speed of Sound
Speed of Sound
Sound needs to travel through a medium. The more rigid the medium is, the higher the speed of the sound wave through the medium. The more compressible the medium is, the slower the speed of the sound wave through the medium.


Gases
Gases
- Gases are readily compressible (easy to squash), so the speed of sound in a gas is very slow.


Liquids
Liquids
- Liquids are more rigid and less compressible than gases, so the speed of sound in liquids is much higher than in gases.


Solids
Solids
- Solids are significantly more rigid than liquids and gases and are very hard to compress.
- Therefore, the speed of sound in solids is much higher than in liquids or gases.
1Motion, Forces & Energy
1.1Physical Quantities & Measurement Techniques
1.2Motion
1.2.1Average Speed
1.2.2Calculating Average Speed
1.2.3Velocity
1.2.4Acceleration
1.2.5Distance-Time Graphs
1.2.6Speed-Time Graphs
1.2.7More Speed-Time Graphs
1.2.8Calculating Uniform Acceleration
1.2.9Gravity
1.2.10Free Fall - Distance-Time & Speed-Time Graphs
1.2.11Air Resistance
1.2.12Air Resistance - Graphs
1.2.13Optional: Calculating Acceleration
1.3Mass & Weight
1.5Forces: Effects of Forces
1.6Forces: Turning Effects of Forces
1.7Forces: Centre of Gravity
1.8Momentum
1.9Energy, Work, & Power: Energy
1.10Energy, Work & Power: Work
1.11Energy, Work & Power: Energy Resources
1.12Energy, Work & Power: Power
2Thermal Physics
2.1Kinetic Particle Model of Matter
2.2Thermal Properties & Temperature
3Waves
3.1General Properties of Waves
3.2Light: Reflection & Refraction
3.3Light: Thin Lenses
3.4Light: Dispersion of Light
3.5Electromagnetic Spectrum
4Electricity & Magnetism
4.1Simple Phenomena of Magnetism
4.2Electrical Quantities: Electric Charge
4.3Electrical Quantities: Electric Current
4.4Electromotive Force & Potential Difference
4.5Electrical Quantities: Resistance
4.6Electrical Energy & Electrical Power
4.7Electric Circuits: Circuit Diagrams & Components
4.8Electric Circuits: Series & Parallel Circuits
4.9Electric Circuits: Action & Use
4.10Electrical Safety
4.11Electromagnetic Effects: Electromagnetic Induction
4.12Electromagnetic Effects: The A.C. Generator
4.13Magnetic Effect of a Current
4.14Force on a Current-Carrying Conductor
4.15Electromagnetic Effects: The D.C. Motor
4.16Electromagnetic Effects: The Transformer
5Nuclear Physics
5.1The Nuclear Model of the Atom
5.2Radioactivity: Detection of Radioactivity
5.3Radioactivity: The Three Types of Nuclear Emission
6Space Physics
6.1The Earth & the Solar System
Jump to other topics
1Motion, Forces & Energy
1.1Physical Quantities & Measurement Techniques
1.2Motion
1.2.1Average Speed
1.2.2Calculating Average Speed
1.2.3Velocity
1.2.4Acceleration
1.2.5Distance-Time Graphs
1.2.6Speed-Time Graphs
1.2.7More Speed-Time Graphs
1.2.8Calculating Uniform Acceleration
1.2.9Gravity
1.2.10Free Fall - Distance-Time & Speed-Time Graphs
1.2.11Air Resistance
1.2.12Air Resistance - Graphs
1.2.13Optional: Calculating Acceleration
1.3Mass & Weight
1.5Forces: Effects of Forces
1.6Forces: Turning Effects of Forces
1.7Forces: Centre of Gravity
1.8Momentum
1.9Energy, Work, & Power: Energy
1.10Energy, Work & Power: Work
1.11Energy, Work & Power: Energy Resources
1.12Energy, Work & Power: Power
2Thermal Physics
2.1Kinetic Particle Model of Matter
2.2Thermal Properties & Temperature
3Waves
3.1General Properties of Waves
3.2Light: Reflection & Refraction
3.3Light: Thin Lenses
3.4Light: Dispersion of Light
3.5Electromagnetic Spectrum
4Electricity & Magnetism
4.1Simple Phenomena of Magnetism
4.2Electrical Quantities: Electric Charge
4.3Electrical Quantities: Electric Current
4.4Electromotive Force & Potential Difference
4.5Electrical Quantities: Resistance
4.6Electrical Energy & Electrical Power
4.7Electric Circuits: Circuit Diagrams & Components
4.8Electric Circuits: Series & Parallel Circuits
4.9Electric Circuits: Action & Use
4.10Electrical Safety
4.11Electromagnetic Effects: Electromagnetic Induction
4.12Electromagnetic Effects: The A.C. Generator
4.13Magnetic Effect of a Current
4.14Force on a Current-Carrying Conductor
4.15Electromagnetic Effects: The D.C. Motor
4.16Electromagnetic Effects: The Transformer
5Nuclear Physics
5.1The Nuclear Model of the Atom
5.2Radioactivity: Detection of Radioactivity
5.3Radioactivity: The Three Types of Nuclear Emission
6Space Physics
6.1The Earth & the Solar System
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