How is the molecular arrangement of matter related to the speed of sound?

Answer 1

It is an amazing fact that the speed of sound in air is essentially a function of temperature only. Even very large pressure changes produce only very small changes in the speed of sound.

The speed of sound in air is largely independent the sound amplitude, frequency or wavelength.

Though air pressure does not affect the speed of sound, there is a small dependence on humidity, because humidity makes a small change in average air density.

By far the largest dependence of sound speed is on temperature and speed changes with altitude are primarily caused by the change in temperature with altitude.

See related links.

Answer 2

molecular arrangement is important when it comes to speed of sound as,if there is less inter-molecular space ,then more molecules will be displaced and the sound waves will reach the listener faster.

Answer 3

The speed of sound is proportional to the density of the transmission medium; In simplest terms, the more dense the medium, the faster sound travels. This is why the speed required to break the 'sound barrier' changes based on altitude; at sea level, for example, sound travels at approximately 761 miles per hour (around 343 meters per second). The speed of sound at 30,000 ft is approximately 678 miles per hour. This difference is due to the difference in atmospheric density at these altitudes.

Although this difference is significant, the speed of sound through even more dense materials, such as solids or liquids is even higher. The speed of sound through water is nearly four times faster than through air, around 1533 meters per second; this is the reason that it is difficult to determine the direction of sound underwater -- humans' sense of direction is derived from the discernable time lag between detection by each ear. When this time lag is shortened, we become unable to determine the direction.

Further, through solids, sound travels faster still. Sound travels through solid iron at a rate of 5,133 meters per second, and denser still diamond at 12,000 meters per second. So, it is the density of the medium that determines the speed of the transmission of sound waves, a speed which decreases with dropping density, all the way to zero for a total vacuum (zero density).

Answer 4

There is no relationship.

The speeds of each are determined by completely different characteristics of their respective environments, and if one changes, that doesn't mean that the other one will change at the same time.

The speed of sound in air at 20 degrees Celsius and sea-level pressure is 343 meters per second.

The speed of light in vacuum is 299,792,458 meters per second: about 874 thousand times the speed of sound in air.