Use the formula v = √ γP/ρ to explain why the speed of sound in air (a) is independent of pressure, (b) increases with temperature, (c) increases with humidity.
(a) Take the relation:
v = √ γP/ρ .... (i)
where density, ρ = Mass / Volume = M / V
Hense eqation one reduces to:
v = √ γPV/M ....(ii)
Now from the ideal gas equation for n = 1:
PV = RT
For constant T, PV = Constant
Since both M and γ are constants, v = Constant
Hence, at a constant temperature, the speed of sound in a gaseous medium is independent of the change in the pressure of the gas.
(b) Take the relation:
v = √ γP/ρ .... (i)
For one mole of an ideal gas, the gas equation can be written as:
PV = RT
P = RT / V … (ii)
Substituting equation (ii) in equation (i), we get:
v = √ γRT / Vρ = √γRT / M ....(iii)
Where, Mass, M = ρV is a constant
γ and R are also constants
We conclude from equation (iii) that v ∝ √T
Hence, the speed of sound in a gas is directly proportional to the square root of the temperature of the gaseous medium, i.e., the speed of the sound increases with an increase in the temperature of the gaseous medium and vice versa.
(c) Let Vm and Vd be the speeds of sound in moist air and dry air respectively.
Let ρm and ρd be the densities of moist air and dry air respectively.
Take the relation:
v = √ γP/ρ
Hence, the speed of sound in moist air is:
vm = √ γP/ρm .....(i)
And the speed of sound in dry air is:
vd = √ γP/ρd .....(ii)
On dividing equations (i) and (ii), we get:
However, the presence of water vapour reduces the density of air, i.e.,
ρd < ρm
therefore, Vm > Vd
Hence, the speed of sound in moist air is greater than it is in dry air. Thus, in a gaseous medium, the speed of sound increases with humidity.
Popular Questions of Class 11 Physics
- Q:-
State the number of significant figures in the following:
(a) 0.007 m2
(b) 2.64 x 1024 kg
(c) 0.2370 g cm-3
(d) 6.320 J
(e) 6.032 N m-2
(f) 0.0006032 m2
- Q:-
Fill in the blanks by suitable conversion of units:
(a) 1 kg m2s–2= ....g cm2 s–2
(b) 1 m =..... ly
(c) 3.0 m s–2=.... km h–2
(d) G = 6.67 × 10–11 N m2 (kg)–2=.... (cm)3s–2 g–1.
- Q:-
A physical quantity P is related to four observables a, b, c and d as follows :
The percentage errors of measurement in a, b, c and d are 1%, 3%, 4% and 2%, respectively. What is the percentage error in the quantity P ? If the value of P calculated using the above relation turns out to be 3.763, to what value should you round off the result ?
- Q:-
Rain is falling vertically with a speed of 30 m s–1. A woman rides a bicycle with a speed of 10 m s–1 in the north to south direction. What is the direction in which she should hold her umbrella?
- Q:- Give the magnitude and direction of the net force acting on
(a) a drop of rain falling down with a constant speed
(b) a cork of mass 10 g floating on water
(c) a kite skillfully held stationary in the sky
(d) a car moving with a constant velocity of 30 km/h on a rough road
(e) a high-speed electron in space far from all material objects, and free of electric and magnetic fields. - Q:-
The mass of a box measured by a grocer's balance is 2.300 kg. Two gold pieces of masses 20.15 g and 20.17 g are added to the box. What is
(a) the total mass of the box,
(b) the difference in the masses of the pieces to correct significant figures?
- Q:-
On an open ground, a motorist follows a track that turns to his left by an angle of 60° after every 500 m. Starting from a given turn, specify the displacement of the motorist at the third, sixth and eighth turn. Compare the magnitude of the displacement with the total path length covered by the motorist in each case.
- Q:-
What amount of heat must be supplied to 2.0 x 10-2 kg of nitrogen (at room temperature) to raise its temperature by 45 °C at constant pressure? (Molecular mass of N2 = 28; R = 8.3 J mol-1 K-1.)
- Q:- In which of the following examples of motion, can the body be considered approximately a point object:
(a) a railway carriage moving without jerks between two stations.
(b) a monkey sitting on top of a man cycling smoothly on a circular track.
(c) a spinning cricket ball that turns sharply on hitting the ground.
(d) a tumbling beaker that has slipped off the edge of a table. - Q:-
A transverse harmonic wave on a string is described by
y(x,t) = 3.0 sin [36t + 0.018x + π /4]
Where x and y are in cm and t in s. The positive direction of x is from left to right.
(a) Is this a travelling wave or a stationary wave? If it is travelling, what are the speed and direction of its propagation?
(b) What are its amplitude and frequency?
(c) What is the initial phase at the origin?
(d) What is the least distance between two successive crests in the wave?
Recently Viewed Questions of Class 11 Physics
- Q:-
Given below are some functions of x and t to represent the displacement (transverse or longitudinal) of an elastic wave. State which of these represent (i) a traveling wave, (ii) a stationary wave or (iii) none at all:
(a) y = 2 cos (3x) sin (10t)
(b) y = 2 underroot(x -vt)
(c) y = 3 sin (5x - 0.5t) + 4 cos (5x - 0.5t)
(d) y = cos x sin t + cos 2x sin 2t
- Q:-
A trolley of mass 300 kg carrying a sandbag of 25 kg is moving uniformly with a speed of 27 km/h on a frictionless track. After a while, sand starts leaking out of a hole on the floor of the trolley at the rate of 0.05 kg s-1. What is the speed of the trolley after the entire sand bag is empty?
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In Exercises 3.13 and 3.14, we have carefully distinguished between average speed and magnitude of average velocity. No such distinction is necessary when we consider instantaneous speed and magnitude of velocity. The instantaneous speed is always equal to the magnitude of instantaneous velocity. Why?
- Q:-
A body of mass 2 kg initially at rest moves under the action of an applied horizontal force of 7 N on a table with coefficient of kinetic friction = 0.1. Compute the
(a) work done by the applied force in 10 s,
(b) work done by friction in 10 s,
(c) work done by the net force on the body in 10 s,
(d) change in kinetic energy of the body in 10 s, and interpret your results.
- Q:- In which of the following examples of motion, can the body be considered approximately a point object:
(a) a railway carriage moving without jerks between two stations.
(b) a monkey sitting on top of a man cycling smoothly on a circular track.
(c) a spinning cricket ball that turns sharply on hitting the ground.
(d) a tumbling beaker that has slipped off the edge of a table. - Q:-
A physical quantity P is related to four observables a, b, c and d as follows :
The percentage errors of measurement in a, b, c and d are 1%, 3%, 4% and 2%, respectively. What is the percentage error in the quantity P ? If the value of P calculated using the above relation turns out to be 3.763, to what value should you round off the result ?
- Q:-
State the number of significant figures in the following:
(a) 0.007 m2
(b) 2.64 x 1024 kg
(c) 0.2370 g cm-3
(d) 6.320 J
(e) 6.032 N m-2
(f) 0.0006032 m2
- Q:-
A block of mass 25 kg is raised by a 50 kg man in two different ways as shown in Fig. 5.19. What is the action on the floor by the man in the two cases? If the floor yields to a normal force of 700 N, which mode should the man adopt to lift the block without the floor yielding?
- Q:-
The speed-time graph of a particle moving along a fixed direction is shown in Fig. 3.28. Obtain the distance traversed by the particle between (a) t = 0 s to 10 s, (b) t = 2 s to 6 s.
(Fig. 3.28)
What is the average speed of the particle over the intervals in (a) and (b)?
- Q:-
A child sits stationary at one end of a long trolley moving uniformly with a speed V on a smooth horizontal floor. If the child gets up and runs about on the trolley in any manner, what is the speed of the CM of the (trolley + child) system?
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