Asked in ETEA MDCAT 2015 2015Moderate

The ratio between the velocity of sound in air at 4 atm and that at 3. atm pressure would be:

Correct answer: A. 1 : 1

  • A. 1 : 1
  • B. 4 : 1
  • C. 1 : 4
  • D. 3 : 1

Explanation

Air pressure has almost no effect on sound speed. It has no effect at all in an ideal gas approximation, because pressure and density both contribute to sound velocity equally, and in an ideal gas the two effects cancel out. In an ideal gas, intermolecular gaps are always taken to be very large, regardless of pressure. Pressure is solely due to the interaction with (imaginary) walls, not due to the interaction between molecules.

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About Speed of Sound

The speed of sound depends on the properties of the medium, including its elasticity and density, and in gases it varies mainly with temperature. Questions connect speed with frequency and wavelength, compare sound in solids, liquids and gases, and distinguish the speed of propagation from the oscillating particles' motion.

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