Speed of Sound

The speed of sound is how fast sound waves travel through a medium, like air, water, or solid materials. It depends on the medium's properties—specifically, how tightly its particles are packed and how easily they move. For example, sound travels faster in solids because particles are closely bound, and slower in gases like air. Temperature also affects it; higher temperatures generally increase the speed. In dry air at room temperature, sound travels approximately 343 meters per second. Understanding this helps in fields like acoustics, communication, and even meteorology.