Speed of Sound Calculator (v = 331.3 + 0.606T)
Speed of Sound Calculator (v = 331.3 + 0.606T)
Unlike light, sound needs a medium to travel through, and its speed in air depends almost entirely on temperature (not on air pressure or loudness). This calculator uses the standard linear approximation v = 331.3 + 0.606T (T in °C), accurate for everyday temperatures, to convert between air temperature and the speed of sound.
- v = 331.3 + 0.606 × T, so at 20°C (room temperature) sound travels at 331.3 + 0.606×20 = 343.4 m/s, the commonly cited "speed of sound" reference value.
- Sound travels faster in warmer air - at 0°C it slows to about 331.3 m/s, while at 30°C it speeds up to about 349.5 m/s, a difference of roughly 0.6 m/s per degree Celsius.
- This formula is for air specifically - sound travels much faster through denser media like water (~1,480 m/s) or steel (~5,960 m/s), since speed of sound depends on the medium's stiffness and density, not just temperature.
How do I calculate the speed of sound at a given temperature?
Use v = 331.3 + 0.606T, where T is the air temperature in Celsius. At 20°C: v = 331.3 + 0.606×20 = 343.4 m/s.
Why is the speed of sound often quoted as 343 m/s?
343 m/s is the speed of sound in dry air at 20°C (standard room temperature) - a common reference point in physics problems.
Speed of Sound Calculator (v = 331.3 + 0.606T)
Unlike light, sound needs a medium to travel through, and its speed in air depends almost entirely on temperature (not on air pressure or loudness). This calculator uses the standard linear approximation v = 331.3 + 0.606T (T in °C), accurate for everyday temperatures, to convert between air temperature and the speed of sound.
- v = 331.3 + 0.606 × T, so at 20°C (room temperature) sound travels at 331.3 + 0.606×20 = 343.4 m/s, the commonly cited "speed of sound" reference value.
- Sound travels faster in warmer air - at 0°C it slows to about 331.3 m/s, while at 30°C it speeds up to about 349.5 m/s, a difference of roughly 0.6 m/s per degree Celsius.
- This formula is for air specifically - sound travels much faster through denser media like water (~1,480 m/s) or steel (~5,960 m/s), since speed of sound depends on the medium's stiffness and density, not just temperature.
How do I calculate the speed of sound at a given temperature?
Use v = 331.3 + 0.606T, where T is the air temperature in Celsius. At 20°C: v = 331.3 + 0.606×20 = 343.4 m/s.
Why is the speed of sound often quoted as 343 m/s?
343 m/s is the speed of sound in dry air at 20°C (standard room temperature) - a common reference point in physics problems.