Sound

Speed of Sound

How fast does sound travel?

Light travels almost one million times faster than sound—specifically, 880,000 times the speed of sound. Light and all electromagnetic waves travel at a speed of 3 x 108 meters per second, while the speed of sound is only about 340 meters per second or 760 miles per hour on a typical spring day.

The speed of sound compared to the speed of light can be observed at a baseball game. A spectator sitting in the outfield bleachers sees the batter hit a ball before she hears the crack of the bat.



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