Scientists have discovered the speed of light & speed of sound. Did anyone think about SPEED OF SMELL?
2007-02-19 05:28:55 · 15 answers · asked by PearL 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I guess it depends on what is being smelled and what the smell is travelling through. Different odors must travel at different speeds...
2007-02-19 05:37:07 · answer #1 · answered by MLBfreek35 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It would depend on how fast the molecules causing the scent are moving. They would move faster at a higher temp, and slower at a cooler temp. This would explain the speed in the environment.
Looking at it another way, the speed of smell would be the speed at which the signals travel through your nervous sytem to let you realize there is an odor.
Or, you could just say my answer STINKS.
2007-02-19 13:39:10 · answer #2 · answered by mastersciprof 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Several actually. It is related to the "Gas Laws" and atmospheric thermodynamics which several physicists contributed to over a 75 year period. It is related to concentration of the smell, air temperature, winds, thermodynamics (heating/cooling) and anything else that would effect the air molecules and "smell" molecules.
Also from a biological standpoint the speed of smell has to do with the receptor to the smell...usually a biological entity like a human. If the biological receptor lacks the ability to detect the smell then the speed of smell is irrelevant.
2007-02-19 13:39:09 · answer #3 · answered by Perry L 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
>we can smell any thing when the molecules of of the substance reaches to smell sensing nerves inside our nose,
>The molecules spreads by the process of diffusion.
>The rate of diffusion is depends on the concentration difference of the smell source and air surrounding us.
> Higher the difference quickly the smell reaches to us.
> The wind direction also affects the diffusion rate.
> Thus the speed of smell is decide by concentration difference and the wind direction and speed, but it is much slower than that of light and sound.
2007-02-19 16:30:35 · answer #4 · answered by imgujju 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed at which you smell something will vary depending on how fast the air around you is moving and also on how good your sense of smell is. Normally women can smell better than men. That is normally why women do test smelling for perfumes rather than men.
2007-02-19 13:42:41 · answer #5 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how quickly the particles from the thing that is smelling (the actual smell) diffuses. The body processes the smell pretty quickly, on the order of miliseconds.
2007-02-19 13:37:55 · answer #6 · answered by mic2345 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, if it's a fart it's faster than the speed of light. Same for a stupid idea too.
Actually it's a diffusion process regulated by density of the gas itself and the atmosphere it's going into, pressure, temperature and so on.
2007-02-19 14:18:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of smell is related to the rate of diffusion of gases. So - a gas (smell) that diffuses rapidly - usually low molecular weight - will be smelt more quickly than one that diffuses more slowly - usually high molecular weight.
2007-02-19 14:08:23 · answer #8 · answered by JJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The time it takes to smell a chemical in the air is the time the chemical takes to travel in air to our nose, and for the nerve impulse to travel to the brain (milliseconds), so smells are almost instantaneous.
Some scientists are looking at this:
http://www.cshl.edu/public/releases/smell.html
2007-02-19 13:39:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Speed of smell = speed of air
:)
2007-02-19 13:36:31 · answer #10 · answered by MaNN 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋