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Velocity of Sound in Various Media

The speed of sound in air is around 768 mi/hr (1,125 ft/sec,

343m/sec), or about 5 seconds per mile, or 3 seconds per kilometer.

That is the reason for the rule of thumb where when you see a flash

of lightning, count the number of seconds until you hear the thunder

clap, then divide by five. That gives you the approximate distance (in

miles) away of the lightning. Divide by three for kilometers.

The speed of sound in any medium is dependent upon the coefficient

of stiffness (modulus of bulk elasticity for gas mediums). Density

and/or compressibility alone does not determine the speed of sound.

Vl = Velocity of plane longitudinal wave in bulk material.

Vs = Velocity of plane transverse (shear) wave.

Vext

= Velocity of longitudinal wave (extensional wave) in thin rods.

Solids

SubstanceDensity

(g/cm3)

Vl

(m/s)

Vs

(m/s)

Vext

(m/s)

Metals

Aluminum, rolled 2.7 6420 3040 5000

Berylium 1.87 12890 8880 12870

Brass (70 Cu, 30 Zn) 8.6 4700 2110 3480

Copper, annealed 8.93 4760 2325 3810

Copper, rolled 8.93 5010 2270 3750

Gold, hard-drawn 19.7 3240 1200 2030

Iron, Armco 7.85 5960 3240 5200

Lead, annealed 11.4 2160 700 1190

Lead, rolled 11.4 1960 690 1210

Molybdenum 10.1 6250 3350 5400

Monel metal 8.90 5350 2720 4400

Nickel (unmagnetized) 8.85 5480 2990 4800

Nickel 8.9 6040 3000 4900

Platinum 21.4 3260 1730 2800

Silver 10.4 3650 1610 2680

Steel, mild 7.85 5960 3235 5200

Steel, 347 Stainless 7.9 5790 3100 5000

Tin, rolled 7.3 3320 1670 2730

Titaninum 4.5 6070 3125 5080

Tungsten, annealed 19.3 5220 2890 4620

Tungsten Carbide 13.8 6655 3980 6220

Zinc, rolled 7.1 4210 2440 3850

Various

Fused silica 2.2 5968 3764 5760

Glass, pyrex 2.32 5640 3280 5170

Glass, heavy silicate flint 3.88 3980 2380 3720

Lucite 1.18 2680 1100 1840

Nylon 6-6 1.11 2620 1070 1800

Polyethylene 0.90 1950 540 920

Polystyrene 1.06 2350 1120 2240

Rubber, butyl 1.07 1830

Rubber, gum 0.95 1550

Rubber neoprene 1.33 1600

Brick 1.8 3650

Clay rock 2.2 3480

Cork 0.25 500

Marble 2.6 3810

Paraffin 0.9 1300

Tallow 390

Woods

Ash, along the fiber 4670

Beech, along the fiber 3340

Elm, along the fiber 4120

Maple, along the fiber 4110

Oak, along the fiber 3850

Human Body Tissues

Soft Tissue

Liquids

Substance FormulaDensity

(g/cm3)

Velocity at 25°C

(m/s)

-δv/δt

(m/sec °C)

Acetone C3H

60 0.79 1174 4.5

Benzene C6H

6 0.870 1295 4.65

Carbon tetrachloride CCl4 1.595 926 2.7

Castor oil C11

H10

O10 0.969 1477 3.6

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Chloroform CHCl3 1.49 987 3.4

Ethanol amide C2H

7NO 1.018 1724 3.4

Ethyl ether C4H

10O 0.713 985 4.87

Ethylene glycol C2H

6O

2 1.113 1658 2.1

Glycerol C3H

8O

3 1.26 1904 2.2

Kerosene 0.81 1324 3.6

Mercury Hg 13.5 1450

Methanol CH4O 0.791 1103 3.2

Turpentine 0.88 1255

Water (distilled) H2O 0.998 1496.7 -2.4

Gases and Vapors

Substance FormulaDensity

(g/l)

Velocity

(m/s)

δv/δt

(m/sec °C)

Gases

Air, dry 1.293 331.45 0.59

Ammonia NH3 0.771 415

Argon Ar 1.783 319 (at 20°C) 0.56

Carbon monoxide CO 1.25 338 0.6

Carbon dioxide CO2 1.977 259 0.4

Chlorine CL2 3.214 206

Deuterium D2 890 1.6

Ethane (10°C) C2H

6 1.356 308

Ethylene C2H

4 1.260 317

Helium He 0.178 965 0.8

Hydrogen H2 0.0899 1284 2.2

Hydrogen chloride HCl 1.639 296

Methane CH4 0.7168 430

Neon Ne 0.900 435 0.8

Nitric oxide (10°C) NO 1.34 324

Nitrogen N2 1.251 334 0.6

Nitrous oxide N2O 1.977 263 0.5

Oxygen O2 1.429 316 0.56

Sulfur dioxide SO2 2.927 213 0.47

Vapors

Acetone C3H

6O 239 0.32

BenzeneC

6H

6 202 0.3

Carbon tetrachloride CCl4 145

Chloroform CHCl3 171 0.24

Ethanol C2H

6O 269 0.4

Ethyl ether C4H

10O 206 0.3

Methanol CH4O 335 0.46

Water vapor (134°C) H2O 494 0.46

Information from CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 7first Edition, 1990-1991, David R. Lide

Human Body Tissues

Substance Velocity at 25°C (m/s)

Soft Tissues 1540

Brain 1541

Liver 1549

Kidney 1561

Blood 1570

Muscle 1585

Lens of Eye 1620

Skull Bone 4080

Water 1540

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