Material Sound Velocities

The table below lists typical longitudinal wave ultrasonic velocities in a variety of common materials that can be measured with
ultrasonic thickness gages. Note that this is only a general guide. The actual velocity in these materials may vary significantly due
to a variety of causes such as specific composition or microstructure, grain or fiber orientation, porosity, and temperature. This is
especially true in the case of cast metals, fiberglass, plastics, and composites. For best accuracy in thickness gaging, the sound
velocity in a given test material should always be measured by performing a velocity calibration on a sample of known thickness.

Ultrasonic Velocities in Common Materials

Material V (in./sec) V (m/sec)

Acrylic (Perspex) 0.1070 2730

Aluminum 0.2490 6320

Beryllium 0.5080 12900

Brass 0.1740 4430

Composite, 0.1200 3070

graphite/epoxy

Copper 0.1830 4660

Diamond 0.7090 18000

Fiberglass 0.1080 2740

Glycerin 0.0760 1920

Inconel 0.2290 5820

Iron, Cast (soft) 0.1380 3500

Iron, Cast (hard) 0.2200 5600

Iron oxide (magnetite) 0.2320 5890

Lead 0.0850 2160

Lucite 0.1060 2680

Molybdenum 0.2460 6250

Motor oil 0.0690 1740

Nickel, pure 0.2220 5630

Polyamide 0.0870 2200

Nylon 0.1020 2600

Polyethylene, 0.0970 2460

high density (HDPE)

Polyethylene, 0.0820 2080

low density (LDPE)

Polystyrene 0.0920 2340

Polyvinylchloride, (PVC) 0.0940 2395

Rubber, polybutadiene 0.0630 1610

Silicon 0.3790 9620

Silicone 0.0580 1485

Steel, 1020 0.2320 5890

Steel, 4340 0.2300 5850

Steel, 302 austenitic stainless 0.2260 5740

Tin 0.1310 3320

Titanium 0.2400 6100

Tungsten 0.2040 5180

Water (20C) 0.0580 1480

Zinc 0.1640 4170

Zirconium 0.1830 4650

Speed of sound in water at temperatures between 32 - 212 oF (0 - 100 oC) -

imperial and SI units

Speed of Sound in Water - in imperial units (BG units)

Temperature Speed of Sound

-t- -c-
(oF) (ft/s)

32 4,603

40 4,672

50 4,748

60 4,814

70 4,871

80 4,919

90 4,960

100 4,995

120 5,049

140 5,091

160 5,101

180 5,095

200 5,089

212 5,062
Speed of Sound in Water - in SI units

Temperature Speed of Sound

-t- -c-
(oC) (m/s)

0 1,403

5 1,427

10 1,447

20 1,481

30 1,507

40 1,526

50 1,541

60 1,552

70 1,555

80 1,555

90 1,550

100 1,543
The speed of sound in air is around 768 mi/hr (1,125 ft/sec, 343m/sec), or about 5 seconds per mile, or 3 seconds
per kilometer. That is the reason for the rule of thumb where when you see a flash of lightning, count the number of
seconds until you hear the thunder clap, then divide by five. That gives you the approximate distance (in miles) away
of the lightning. Divide by three for kilometers.

The speed of sound in any medium is dependent upon the coefficient of stiffness (modulus of bulk elasticity for gas
mediums). Density and/or compressibility alone does not determine the speed of sound.

Vl = Velocity of plane longitudinal wave in bulk material.

Vs = Velocity of plane transverse (shear) wave.
Vext = Velocity of longitudinal wave (extensional wave) in thin rods.

Solids

Substance Density Vl Vs Vext

(g/cm3) (m/s) (m/s) (m/s)

Metals

Aluminum, rolled 2.7 6420 3040 5000

Berylium 1.87 12890 8880 12870

Brass (70 Cu, 30 Zn) 8.6 4700 2110 3480

Copper, annealed 8.93 4760 2325 3810

Copper, rolled 8.93 5010 2270 3750

Gold, hard-drawn 19.7 3240 1200 2030

Iron, Armco 7.85 5960 3240 5200

Lead, annealed 11.4 2160 700 1190

Lead, rolled 11.4 1960 690 1210

Molybdenum 10.1 6250 3350 5400

Monel metal 8.90 5350 2720 4400

Nickel (unmagnetized) 8.85 5480 2990 4800

Nickel 8.9 6040 3000 4900

Platinum 21.4 3260 1730 2800

Silver 10.4 3650 1610 2680

Steel, mild 7.85 5960 3235 5200

Steel, 347 Stainless 7.9 5790 3100 5000

Tin, rolled 7.3 3320 1670 2730

Titaninum 4.5 6070 3125 5080

Tungsten, annealed 19.3 5220 2890 4620

Tungsten Carbide 13.8 6655 3980 6220

Zinc, rolled 7.1 4210 2440 3850

Various

Fused silica 2.2 5968 3764 5760

Glass, pyrex 2.32 5640 3280 5170

Glass, heavy silicate flint 3.88 3980 2380 3720

Lucite 1.18 2680 1100 1840

Nylon 6-6 1.11 2620 1070 1800

Polyethylene 0.90 1950 540 920

Polystyrene 1.06 2350 1120 2240

Rubber, butyl 1.07 1830

Rubber, gum 0.95 1550

Rubber neoprene 1.33 1600

Brick 1.8 3650

Clay rock 2.2 3480

Cork 0.25 500

Marble 2.6 3810

Paraffin 0.9 1300

Tallow 390

Woods

Ash, along the fiber 4670

Beech, along the fiber 3340

Elm, along the fiber 4120

Maple, along the fiber 4110

Oak, along the fiber 3850

Human Body Tissues

Soft Tissue

Liquids

Substance Formula Density Velocity at 25C -v/t

(g/cm3) (m/s) (m/sec C)
Acetone C3H60 0.79 1174 4.5

Benzene C6H6 0.870 1295 4.65

Carbon tetrachloride CCl4 1.595 926 2.7

Castor oil C11H10O10 0.969 1477 3.6

Chloroform CHCl3 1.49 987 3.4

Ethanol amide C2H7NO 1.018 1724 3.4

Ethyl ether C4H10O 0.713 985 4.87

Ethylene glycol C2H6O2 1.113 1658 2.1

Glycerol C3H8O3 1.26 1904 2.2

Kerosene 0.81 1324 3.6

Mercury Hg 13.5 1450

Methanol CH4O 0.791 1103 3.2

Turpentine 0.88 1255

Water (distilled) H2O 0.998 1496.7 -2.4

Gases and Vapors

Substance Formula Density Velocity v/t

(g/l) (m/s) (m/sec C)

Gases

Air, dry 1.293 331.45 0.59

Ammonia NH3 0.771 415

Argon Ar 1.783 319 (at 20C) 0.56

Carbon monoxide CO 1.25 338 0.6

Carbon dioxide CO2 1.977 259 0.4

Chlorine CL2 3.214 206

Deuterium D2 890 1.6

Ethane (10C) C2H6 1.356 308

Ethylene C2H4 1.260 317

Helium He 0.178 965 0.8

Hydrogen H2 0.0899 1284 2.2

Hydrogen chloride HCl 1.639 296

Methane CH4 0.7168 430

Neon Ne 0.900 435 0.8

Nitric oxide (10C) NO 1.34 324

Nitrogen N2 1.251 334 0.6

Nitrous oxide N2O 1.977 263 0.5

Oxygen O2 1.429 316 0.56

Sulfur dioxide SO2 2.927 213 0.47

Vapors

Acetone C3H6O 239 0.32

C6H6 202 0.3

Benzene

Carbon tetrachloride CCl4 145

Chloroform CHCl3 171 0.24

Ethanol C2H6O 269 0.4

Ethyl ether C4H10O 206 0.3

Methanol CH4O 335 0.46

Water vapor (134C) H2O 494 0.46

Information from CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 7first Edition, 1990-1991, David R. Lide

Human Body Tissues

Substance Velocity at 25C (m/s)

Soft Tissues 1540

Brain 1541

Liver 1549

Kidney 1561

Blood 1570

Muscle 1585

Lens of Eye 1620

Skull Bone 4080

Water 1540
 L-WAVE L-WAVE S-WAVE S-WAVE
MATERIAL VELOCITY VELOCITY VELOCITY VELOCITY
IN/S M/S IN/S M/S

ALUMINUM 0.2510 6375 .1240 3130

BERYLLIUM 0.5080 12903 .3500 8880

BRASS 0.1730 4394 .0830 2120

BRONZE 0.1390 3531 .0880 2235

CADMIUM 0.1090 2769 .0590 1500

COLUMBIUM 0.1940 4928 .0830 2100

COPPER 0.1830 4648 .0890 2260

GLASS 0.2270 5766 .1350 3430

(PLATE)

GLYCERINE 0.0760 1930

GOLD 0.1280 3251 .0470 1194

INCONEL 0.2290 5817 .1190 3020

IRON 0.2320 5893 .1270 3230

CAST IRON 0.1800 4572 .0870 2200 3220

.1260

LEAD 0.0850 2159 .0280 700

MAGNESIUM 0.2300 5842 .1200 3050

MERCURY 0.0570 1448

MOLYBDENUM 0.2460 6248 .1320 3350

MONEL 0.2110 5359 .1070 2720

NICKEL 0.2220 5639 .1170 2970

NYLON 0.1060 2692 .0430 1090

PLATINUM 0.1560 3962 .0660 1670

PLEXIGLAS 0.1060 2692 .0500 1270

POLYSTYRENE 0.0920 2337

PVC 0.0940 2388 .0420 1060

QUARTZ 0.2260 5740 .0870 2210

GLASS

RUBBER, 0.0910 2311

VULCANIZED

SILVER 0.1420 3607 .0360 1590

STEEL (1020) 0.2320 5893 .1280 3240

STEEL (4340) 0.2330 5918 .1280 3240

STAINLESS 0.2230 5664 .1230 3120

STEEL

TEFLON 0.0540 1372 .2500 6350

TIN 0.1310 3327 .0660 1670

TITANIUM 0.2400 6096 .1230 3120

TUNGSTEN 0.2040 5182 .1130 2870

URANIUM 0.1330 3378 .0780 1980

WATER 0.0580 1473

ZINC 0.1660 4216 .0950 2410

ZIRCONIUM 0.1830 4648 .0890 2250