Velocity of Sound in Solids and Metals
Velocity of sound in common solids and metals - aluminum, brass, concrete and ...
Speed of sound in normal air is 343 m/s. In water the speed of sound is 1433 m/s. Sound velocity in some common solids are indicated in the table below:
Solid | Velocity (m/s) Load Calculator! Load Calculator! | ||
---|---|---|---|
Longitudal | Shear | Extensional | |
Aluminum, rolled | 6420 | 3040 | 5000 |
Antimony | 3400 | ||
Beryllium | 12890 | 8880 | 12870 |
Bismut | 2180 | 1790 | |
Brass (70% Cu, 30% Zn) | 4700 | 2110 | 3480 |
Brick | 4200 | 3600 | |
Cadmium | 2780 | 2400 | |
Concrete | 3700 | 3200 | |
Constantan | 5177 | 2625 | 4270 |
Copper, annealed | 4760 | 2325 | 3810 |
Copper, rolled | 5010 | 2270 | 3750 |
Cork | 518 | 366 | |
Diamond | 12000 | ||
Duralumin | 6320 | 3130 | 5150 |
Glass, heavy silicate flint | 3980 | 2380 | 3720 |
Glass, light borate crown | 5100 | 2840 | 4540 |
Glass, pyrex | 5640 | 3280 | 5140 |
Gold, hard drawn | 3240 | 1200 | 2030 |
Granite | 5950 | ||
Iridium | 4790 | ||
Iron, cast | 4994 | 2809 | 4480 |
Iron, electrolytic | 5950 | 3240 | 5120 |
Ivory | 3010 | ||
Lead, annealed | 2160 | 700 | 1190 |
Lead, rolled | 1960 | 690 | 1210 |
Lucite | 2680 | 1100 | 1840 |
Magnesium, annealed | 5770 | 3050 | 4940 |
Manganese | 4660 | 3830 | |
Marble | 3810 | ||
Molybdenum | 6250 | 3350 | 5400 |
Monel | 5350 | 2720 | 4400 |
Nickel | 6040 | 3000 | 4900 |
Nylon 6/6 | 2620 | 1070 | 1800 |
Platinum | 3260 | 1730 | 2800 |
Polyethylene | 1950 | 540 | 920 |
Polystyrene | 2350 | 1120 | 1840 |
Rubber, butyl | 1830 | ||
Rubber, gum | 1550 | ||
Rubber, neoprene | 1600 | ||
Silica, fused | 5968 | 3764 | 5760 |
Silver | 3650 | 1610 | 2680 |
Slate | 4510 | ||
Steel (1% C) | 5940 | 3220 | 5180 |
Steel, stainless | 5790 | 3100 | 5000 |
Tantalium | 3350 | ||
Tin, rolled | 3320 | 1670 | 2730 |
Titanium | 6070 | 3125 | 5090 |
Tungsten, annealed | 5220 | 2890 | 4620 |
Tungsten, drawn | 5410 | 2640 | 4320 |
Tungsten carbide | 6655 | 3980 | 6220 |
Wood (hard) | 3960 | ||
Wood, longitudinal parallel with grain | 3300 - 5000 | ||
Zinc, rolled | 4210 | 2440 | 3850 |
- 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h = 196.85 ft/min = 3.28 ft/s = 2.237 mph
In a liquid or gas only one velocity is required for sound velocity. In an isotropic solid sound speed is characterized by three velocities:
- velocity of longitudinal waves in infinite elements (elements much larger than the wavelength of the sound)
- velocity of shear waves in infinite elements
- velocity of extensional waves along a rod (with diameter much smaller than the wavelength)
In wood the speed of sound varies with grain direction because the transverse modulus of elasticity is as little as 1/20 the longitudinal value. The speed of sound across the grain is about one-fifth to one-third of the longitudinal value. There is no recognized independent effect of species of wood on the speed of sound. Variability in the speed of sound relates to the variability of modulus of elasticity and density.