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  Underwater Acoustics Tutorial- 4. Sound Speed  
 

 
 
 
     
4. Sound Speed  
 

The speed of a wave is the rate at which vibrations propagate through the medium. Wavelength and frequency are related by:

l = c/f

where lambda = wavelength, c = speed of sound in the medium, and f = frequency. The speed of sound in water is approximately 1500 m/s while the speed of sound in air is approximately 340 m/s. Therefore, a 20 Hz sound in the water is 75 m long whereas a 20 Hz sound in air is 17 m long.

 
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