Ask an Explainer
Why does sound move faster in warmer air?
The speed of sound in the air mainly depends on temperature. At a typical sea level temperature, sound travels about 1,220 kilometers (760 miles) per hour. At high altitudes, where it is much colder, sound travels slower. The higher the temperature, the faster the air molecules are moving to begin with, and the quicker they bump into each other as a sound wave passes through.