Question

Under standard atmospheric conditions, sonic speed is about how many miles per hour?

1) 600 mph
2) 700 mph
3) 800 mph
4) 900 mph

Answer 1

The speed of sound under standard atmospheric conditions is about 768 miles per hour, which rounds to approximately 800 mph, making the correct answer (3) 800 mph.

Step-by-step explanation:

Under standard atmospheric conditions, the speed of sound is typically around 343 meters per second (m/s) at sea level at a temperature of 21°C. To convert this speed into miles per hour (mph), we can use the conversion factor where 1 meter per second is approximately equal to 2.24 miles per hour. Multiplying 343 m/s by 2.24 gives us the speed of sound in miles per hour:

343 m/s × 2.24 mph/(m/s) = 768.32 mph

Therefore, under standard conditions, the speed of sound is about 768 mph, which makes the closest choice from the provided options:

1. 600 mph
2. 700 mph
3. 800 mph
4. 900 mph

The correct answer is (3) 800 mph, which is the approximation to the nearest hundred.