Sound Speed Water

Reference data and engineering information about sound speed water for acoustics applications.

soundspeedwater

Overview

Engineering reference data for Sound Speed Water in acoustics.

Key Formulas

Speed of Sound

$c = \sqrt{\gamma R T}$

Speed of sound in an ideal gas.

Sound Level

$L = 10 \log_{10}(I/I_0)$

Decibel level.

Wavelength

$\lambda = c / f$

Wavelength = speed / frequency.

Variables

Symbol	Description	Unit
$c$	Speed of sound	m/s
$L$	Sound level	dB
$\lambda$	Wavelength	m
$f$	Frequency	Hz

Data Tables

Water - Speed of Sound vs. Temperature (Imperial Units)

14 rows

Speed of sound in pure water at various temperatures (Imperial units)
Temperature(°F)	Speed of Sound(ft/s)
32	4603
40	4672
50	4748
60	4814
70	4871
80	4919
90	4960
100	4995
120	5049
140	5091
160	5101
180	5095
200	5089
212	5062

Source: engineeringtoolbox.com

Water and Seawater - Speed of Sound vs. Temperature (SI Units)

12 rows

Speed of sound in pure water and seawater at various temperatures (SI units). Seawater data is for salinity S = 35 (35.17 g/kg).
Temperature(°C)	Speed of Sound - Water(m/s)	Speed of Sound - Seawater(m/s)
0	1403	1449
5	1427	—
10	1447	1490
20	1481	1522
30	1507	1546
40	1526	1563
50	1541	—
60	1552	—
70	1555	—
80	1555	—
90	1550	—
100	1543	—

Source: engineeringtoolbox.com

Important Notes

Speed vs. Velocity: Speed is a scalar quantity representing the magnitude of how fast sound travels. Velocity is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction.

Unit Conversion:

1 \text{ m/s} = 3.28 \text{ ft/s}

Seawater Condition: The seawater data in the table corresponds to a standard salinity of *S = 35 (equivalent to 35.17 grams per kilogram).

Interactive Charts

Water - speed of sound diagram

Water - Velocity of sound vs. temperature

References

Original Source

Source: engineeringtoolbox.com