alleryStart learning →Why does the speed of sound in a gas change with temperature?
ATemperature changes the gas colour
BTemperature changes the gas density
CTemperature changes the wavelength
DTemperature changes the loudness
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Temperature changes the gas density
1. The speed of sound is set by the rigidity and the density of the medium.
2. Temperature affects the density of the medium.
3. So changing the temperature changes the speed of sound through that density.
4. The effect matters most for gases, whose density responds strongly to heating.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (high school, CC BY 4.0), Ch 14 "Sound", section The Speed of Sound_
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