In other words, what would be the time taken for me to travel at the speed of sound for 1 lightyear? What proportion of the speed of sound to the speed of light?
2007-04-25 00:43:42 · 9 answers · asked by Robin T 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The speed of sound varies but in dry air at 20 degrees Celsius is 343 m/s.
The speed of sound does vary depending on:
- air temperature, pressure and humidity in a gas,
- density temperature and pressure in a liquid
- density and youngs modulus in a solid.
Sound travels fastest in a solid and slowest in a gas. Of course sound cannot travel through a vacuum.
The speed of light is also not constant. It is slightly slower in air than a vacuum, and slower still in a liquid (water) or solid (glass, diamond). Speed of light in a vacuum is 299 792 458 m/s, and ever so slightly slower in air.
The ratio of light speed to sound speed is:
299 792 458/ 343 = 874 030
So light is 874 030 times faster than lsound, so it would take you 874 030 years to travel the distance light would in a year (a light year) if you were travelling at the speed of sound!
2007-04-25 00:54:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Speed Of Sound Ratio
2016-10-01 10:14:17 · answer #2 · answered by giannini 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A light year is the distance light travels (in a vacuum) in a year.
So we have, 2.9998 x 10^8 ms^-1
This is 1 second, so we first multiply by 60-:
1.7988 x 10^10 metres per minute
Again multiply by 60-:
1.07928 x 10^12 metres per hour
Now by 24-:
2.590272 x 10^13 metres per day
Now multiply by 365.25 -:
9.4609685 x 10^15 metres per year.
Sound travels at approximately 340 ms^-1
So for you to travel at the speed of sound, the time taken to cover the distance of a light year would be.....
9.4609685 x 10^15 / 340
= 2.7826 x 10^13 seconds
= 881764.71 Years
(Don't think you would last that long eh??)
The speed of light is 882352.94 times faster than the speed of sound.
2007-04-25 00:55:09 · answer #3 · answered by Doctor Q 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sound travels at 344m/s and Light travels at 3*10^8m/s. OO doesnt it take like a second for light to travel all the way around the world and in a second sound wouldnt get that far
2016-03-18 21:53:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Speed of sound is roughly 750 mph so that's .2 miles per second. Light moves at 186,262 mile per second. Do the math.
2007-04-25 01:04:50 · answer #5 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My rule has usually been ---> If I see a flash of lightning, then count the seconds until I hear the sound, That tells me how many miles away the lightning struck (or occurred) Is this approximately in the ball-park ?
2015-12-21 15:05:32 · answer #6 · answered by Bill 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hmm a sound year , now there's a novel idea,
2007-04-25 09:26:47 · answer #7 · answered by bo nidle 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
37500000 : 43
2007-04-25 01:03:13 · answer #8 · answered by GODFATHER 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Please ask a question that involves science, conception , perception. Not simply data oriented mathematics that annoyed people and consumes his time without any gain from your question.
Thanks
2007-04-25 01:15:33 · answer #9 · answered by Dilip Dey 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋