Question
Air temperature in the Sahara Desert can reach 56.0C56.0^\circ\textrm{C} (about 134F134^\circ\textrm{F} ). What is the speed of sound in air at that temperature?
Question by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Final Answer

363 m/s363\textrm{ m/s}

Solution video

OpenStax College Physics for AP® Courses, Chapter 17, Problem 6 (Problems & Exercises)

OpenStax College Physics, Chapter 17, Problem 6 (PE) video thumbnail

In order to watch this solution you need to have a subscription.

Start free trial Log in
vote with a rating of votes with an average rating of .

Calculator Screenshots

  • OpenStax College Physics, Chapter 17, Problem 6 (PE) calculator screenshot 1
Video Transcript
This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. The temperature in the Sahara desert is 56.0 degrees Celsius and we are asked what is the speed of sound at that temperature? So we add 273.15 to convert this temperature into 329.15 Kelvin and then the speed of sound then is 331 meters per second times the square root of the absolute temperature divided by 273 Kelvin. So that's 331 meters per second times square root 329.15 Kelvin divided by 273 Kelvin and we get 363 meters per second is the speed of sound in the Sahara desert at 56.0 degrees Celsius.