Last updated: March 2, 2026 by Sarah Chen

Speed of Sound in Air

Formula

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. At 20°C it is about 343 m/s. The linear approximation v = 331.3 + 0.606T (in °C) is accurate for typical atmospheric conditions. Warmer air transmits sound faster because molecules move more quickly.

Common use cases:

  • Acoustic engineering
  • Distance estimation via echo timing
  • Aviation Mach number calculations

Frequently Asked Questions

SC

Sarah Chen

Financial Analyst, CFA

Sarah is a Chartered Financial Analyst with over 8 years of experience in investment management and financial modeling. She specializes in retirement planning and compound interest calculations.

Share & Embed

Was this calculator helpful?

Related Calculators