How to measure the speed of sound with two lumps of wood ...

... a stop watch and a convenient wall.

Step 1: The idea

Speed is how far something travels in a known time speed = distance / time.

In everyday life, speed is generally measured in either miles per hour (or kilometres per hour; most of the world is metric). Higher speeds, especially in a scientific or engineering context, are usually measured in metres per second (m/s, ms-1), and that is what we will use in this Instructable.

We will measure the time it takes for sound to travel a known distance by using rhythmic echoes.

Comments

[oaxacamatt]

Great experiment! Just up the right thing for 10 yr olds I would think too. Bang stuff, listen for the noises then time it. what could be more fun.

[rimar2000]

Very interesting!

[Murdok]

I tried this and got a hernia...do you have to use lumber? *Couldn't resist; saw someone else up there make "wood" joke.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

heh... wood

[Kiteman]

Hey, Eric, happy now?

[JakeTobak]

When I saw this I just thought, "Man, where's that guy with the professor avatar. He was talking about this just a couple days ago."

[Kiteman]

ewilhelmsays:
How long do you think you can get away with having a comment like this and no Instructable showing us how?

http://www.instructables.com/id/EMKL272F271V6PP/

You ask, I give.

[ewilhelm]

You'll notice me proudly in the "They Like It" box. I like the rhythm aspect of the project to deal with short time durations.

[Kiteman]

>smug grin<

[trebuchet03]

I remember doing this in high school :) Nice work :)

[lemonie]

Yea, we did this at school! Think it was two planks, and we had a good, big, brick, Comprehensive wall. L