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How to measure the speed of sound in air?

User Jja
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1 Answer

7 votes

STEP ONE:


Let you and your friend stand as far away as possible from a large reflecting wall and clap your hands rapidly at a regular rate.


STEP TWO:


Adjust this rate until each clap just coincides with the return of an echo of its predecessor, or until clap and echo are heard as equally spaced.


STEP THREE:


Use a stopwatch to find the time between claps, t. Make a rough measurement of distance to the wall, s. Thus the speed of sound, v = 2s/t

User Pirs
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