Derivation Guide

Speed of Sound Waves

Y&F 16.2
This sheet will guide you through the process of deriving the speed of sound
waves travelling in a medium. Using an appropriate generalisation of this
result, you can, for example, predict calculate the speed of sound waves in air
purely from the elastic properties of the medium
You will therefore need to use equation (11.13) from the theory of elasticity
which relates the bulk modulus 𝐵 of a material to the instantaneous pressure
applied to the material and the fractional change in the volume of the medium
, as follows:
𝑑𝑉
∆𝑝 = −𝐵 [11.13]
𝑉
Follow the steps described below to carry out the derivation. If you get stuck,
you can refer to the equations or figures indicated at the end of each part, that
will tell you what your answer should look like.

Setup
Column with uniform cross-sectional area 𝐴, with a movable plunger
located at one end, where 𝑥 = 0. Make a sketch of this system. And
add arrows to indicate the forces acting on the plunger and calculate the
size of these forces, given that the column contains a medium with a
non-zero, constant pressure 𝑝.
When the plunger is pushed into the column, a sound wave is created. If
the sound wave has velocity 𝑣, then in time t the wave front will travel a
distance 𝑣𝑡 down the column. If the plunger is pushed into the column
with velocity 𝑣 , then in the same time t, the plunger will have moved a
distance 𝑣 𝑡. Make a similar sketch as before to represent the situation
after time 𝑡, when the plunger has been moved a distance 𝑣 𝑡. Add
arrows to indicate the forces acting in this case if there is an extra
pressure ∆𝑝 being applied to the plunger. [Figure 16.7]
 Calculate
Write down an expression for the volume of the column between the
points 𝑥 = 0 and 𝑥 = 𝑣𝑡.
Hence write down an expression for the fractional change in the volume
of the medium between these two points at time 𝑡 after the plunger has
been pressed into the column with velocity 𝑣 .
Use equation [11.13] to find an expression for the extra pressure ∆𝑝
that has been applied to the plunger, in terms of the bulk modulus and
the fractional change in the volume that you have found. Label this
equation 1.
Write down an expression for the mass of the medium in the column
between the points 𝑥 = 0 and 𝑥 = 𝑣𝑡.
Hence, work out the change to the momentum of the medium that is
initially in this part of the column, after time t.
Using the fact that the above change in momentum is given by the net
force acting on the plunger times the time 𝑡, write down a second
equation for the extra pressure ∆𝑝 that has been applied to the plunger.
Label this equation 2.
Use your equations 1 and 2 to eliminate ∆𝑝 [Equation 16.6]
Solve the resulting equation for the speed v of the sound wave.
[Equation 16.7]

Interpret
Does your expression for 𝑣 have the correct units of speed?
How would you expect the speed of a sound wave to depend on the
density and the bulk modulus (ease of compression)? Does this agree
with the equation for 𝑣?