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Measuring Speed of Sound

I'm looking to find out why using a greater frequency (5000hz instead of 500hz) would decrease the accuracy of the value when finding the speed of sound? Thankyou! :biggrin:
Absorption of the sound energy is greater at higher frequencies where the relative humidity of air is low making measurement harder.

Also, the wavelength of the sound at higher frequencies becomes comparable to the size of many small objects so the sound can be readily diffracted and refracted and absorbed. You could get multiple paths for the sound resulting in many sounds arriving at the measuring device at different times depending on the path they took.

Unless you perform the experiment in a sound proofed environment, there could be many false triggers from extraneous sounds picked up by the measuring equipment.
Thankyou very much! :smile:
Original post by chloeintheskies
I'm looking to find out why using a greater frequency (5000hz instead of 500hz) would decrease the accuracy of the value when finding the speed of sound? Thankyou! :biggrin:


Off the top of my head there are 4 A-Level "text book" experiments I can think of for measuring the speed of sound. In air, one uses progressive waves and two use standing waves, while one measures the speed in a metal rod.
Which one were you thinking of?
(edited 11 years ago)

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