Speed of Sound in Air

Temperature Dependence

Sound speed in air depends on temperature. The linear approximation:

$v approx 331 + 0.6 cdot T_C$

where $T_C$ is the temperature in Celsius.

Physics Behind It

Sound travels by compressing adjacent air molecules. Warmer air has faster-moving molecules, so disturbances propagate more quickly. The exact formula uses the adiabatic index and molar mass, but the linear form is accurate to within 0.5% for typical temperatures.

Effect on Tuning

An orchestra tunes at 20 °C (343 m/s). If the stage warms to 30 °C (349 m/s), instruments that haven't warmed up play sharp — wavelengths shorten at higher speeds.

Your Task

Implement speedOfSound(celsius) using the linear approximation.