Sound travels at different speeds in gases depending on their temperature and density.
The equation relating the speed of sound in a gas to its density is:
speed of sound=Kdensitywhere K is a constant. \text{speed of sound} = \frac{K}{\sqrt{\text{density}}} \quad \text{where } K \text{ is a constant.} speed of sound=densityKwhere K is a constant.The table below shows some data for carbon dioxide gas at two different temperatures.
| Temperature | Speed of sound in m/s | Density of carbon dioxide in kg/m3^33 |
|---|---|---|
| At 0∘C0^\circ\text{C}0∘C | 259 | 1.98 |
| At 100∘C100^\circ\text{C}100∘C | 1.45 |
Use the equation and the data in the table to calculate the speed of sound in carbon dioxide at 100∘C100^\circ\text{C}100∘C.
Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.
35 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 4.3 Sound, ultrasound and infrasound, covering 4.3.1 Sound waves, vibrations and the human ear, 4.3.2 Ultrasound and infrasound, 4.3.3 Uses of ultrasound and infrasound, and 4.3.4 Sound waves passing between media. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.