3.4.6

Measuring the Speed of Sound - Experiment

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Measuring the Speed of Sound - Experiment

Echoes can be used to measure the speed of sound.

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Speed of sound - echo

  • Two people stand a measured distance from a tall vertical wall. This distance should ideally be about 100m.
  • The first person bangs two wooden blocks together to make a sharp sound, and repeats this every time the echo is heard.
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Speed of sound - echo

  • Starting counting from zero, the second person uses a stopwatch (timer) to measure the time taken for a number of claps – 50 or 100.
  • In the time between two successive claps, the sound travels to the wall and back.
  • The speed of sound can be calculated from the following relationship:
    • speed of sound = distance to wall × 2 × number of claps (N) ÷ time taken for N claps.

Jump to other topics

1Forces & Motion

1.1Basics of Motion

1.2Forces

1.3Effects of Forces

1.4Stopping Distance

1.5Forces & Elasticity

2Electricity

3Waves

4Energy Resources & Energy Transfers

5Solids, Liquids & Gases

6Magnetism & Electromagnetism

7Radioactivity & Particles

8Astrophysics

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