Final answer:
The highest recorded ambient temperature in a desert is 134°F (56.7°C). Using the formula v = 331.4 + 0.6T, the speed of sound at this temperature can be calculated to be approximately 365.4 meters per second.
Step-by-step explanation:
The highest known ambient temperature recorded in a desert is 134°F (56.7°C), documented at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913.
To answer the question regarding the speed of sound at that extreme temperature, we can use the formula for the speed of sound in air, which is dependent on the temperature of the air.
The approximate relationship between temperature and the speed of sound is given by v = 331.4 + 0.6T, where v is the speed in meters per second and T is the temperature in degrees Celsius.
Using this formula, and the temperature of 56°C, we can calculate the speed of sound at that ambient temperature:
- Convert °F to °C: T(°C) = (134 - 32) × 5/9 = 56.7°C.
- Plug the Celsius temperature into the formula: v = 331.4 + (0.6 × 56.7) = 331.4 + 34 = 365.4 m/s.
Therefore, the speed of sound in the air at a temperature of 56°C in a desert would be approximately 365.4 meters per second.