Liquids - Speed of Sound

Speed of sound in common fluids like water, glycerol, kerosene and more.

Liquids - Speed of Sound

Speed of sound in common fluids like water, glycerol, kerosene and more.

The speed of sound in some common liquids are indicated in the table below. Speed of sound in air at standard conditions is 343 m/s.

Note: Speed is a scalar quantity. Velocity is vector quantity with direction.

Conversion: 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h = 196.85 ft/min = 3.28 ft/s = 2.237 mph

LiquidSpeed of Sound (m/s)
Acetic acid (19.6 °C)1173
Acetone (25 °C)1170
Alcohol, ethyl (ethanol) (25 °C)1144
Alcohol, methyl (25 °C)1103
Alcohol, propyl1205
Aniline (25 °C)1640
Argon (-243 °C)840
Benzene (25 °C)1298
Bromobenzene (20 °C)1169
Bismuth (280 °C)1651
Butane (-0.5 °C)1038
1-Butanol (20 °C)1262
Caesium (40 °C)980
Carbon bisulfide1160
Carbon disulfide (25 °C)1242
Carbon tetrachloride (25 °C)930
Castor oil1474
Chloroform (25 °C)984
Chlorobenzene (25 °C)1270
Cyclohexane (20 °C)1280
Cyclohexanol (25 °C)1465
1-Decene (20 °C)1250
Diethyl-ether (25 °C)951
Ethane (-88.6 °C)1316
Ethanol (20 °C)1159
Ether985
Ethylene (-103.8 °C)1307
Ethylene glycol (25 °C)1660
Fluorbenzene (20 °C)1183
Glycerine1920
Glycerol (25 °C)1920
Helium (-269 °C)180
Heptane1138
Hexane1203
n-Hexanol (25 °C)1303
Hydrogen (-255 °C)1246
Indium (160 °C)2313
Iodobenzene (20 °C)1114
Kerosene1324
Lead (340 °C)1766
Mercury (25 °C)1450
Methane (-170 °C)1420
Methanol (20 °C)1116
Napthalene (100 °C)1248
Neon (-243 °C)540
Nitrobenzene (25 °C)1463
Nitrogen (-195.8 °C)851
Octane1171
Oil (castor) (25 °C)1490
Oil (lubricating) (25 °C)1461
Oxygen (-202 °C)1056
Pentane (20 °C)1036
Petroleum1330
Potassium (80 °C)1869
n-Pentanol (25 °C)1277
Phenol1274
Propane (-42.1 °C)1161
n-Propanol (25 °C)1207
Pyridine (25 °C)1417
Rubidium (50 °C)1247
Sodium (110 °C)2520
Tin (240 °C)2471
Toluene (25 °C)1306
Turpentine1240
Water1493
Water (0 °C)1402
Water (20 °C)1482
Seawater (3.5% salinity)1533
Seawater (3.5% salinity, 20 °C)1522
Zinc (450 °C)2780
Liquids - Speed of Sound | MEPKit Engineering Tools | MEPKit