Speed of light and sound

How is sound produced?

Table of Contents

Sound is a longitudinal wave that requires a material medium (gaseous, liquid, or solid) to propagate.

For there to be sound, there must exist: a transmitter, a receiver, and an elastic material medium for its transport.

How do we perceive sound?

We understand sound through our ears. The ear transforms external vibrations into nerve impulses that are sent to the brain.

Its parts are: • External ear • Middle ear • Inner ear

Furthermore, the human ear can locate the source of the sound because, when the sound comes from one side, it reaches one ear before the other. With this small delay, the brain can locate the area where the sound comes from.

What is the speed of lightning?

In lightning, the flash of light is always observed before we hear the rumble of thunder because light travels much faster than sound. The speed of sound in air is 1,224 kilometers per hour, fifteen times the speed of a car. The speed of light is 1.08 billion kilometers per hour, almost a million times greater than the speed of sound.

Why do we see first and then hear?

When a bomb explodes in the distance, we hear the flash first, then the sound. What is it that we hear when we hear the bang? The sound is air that is compressed and expands. When a bomb explodes at a birthday party, there is compressed, tight air. Then it expands, comes out violently, and spreads through the air in the form of waves.

We also see that the speed of light is greater than that of sound…

When planes pass in the distance, we see them, leaving a trail of white smoke in the air, and then we hear them.

Break the sound

The speed of sound in air is 1,224 kilometers per hour. There are planes, called supersonic planes, that exceed this speed and break the sound barrier. The armies of countries mainly use these planes.