# Speeds of sound of the elements

The speed of sound in any chemical element in the fluid phase has one temperature-dependent value. In the solid phase, different types of sound wave may be propagated, each with its own speed: among these types of wave are longitudinal (as in fluids), transversal, and (along a surface or plate) extensional.

## Speed of sound, solid phase

| | longitudinal, m/s | transversal, m/s | extensional, m/s | notes |
| 3 Li lithium |||||
| use | | | 6000 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 6000 | |
| 4 Be beryllium |||||
| use | 12890 | 8880 | 12870 | room temperature |
| CRC | 12890 | 8880 | 12870 | |
| WEL | | | 13000 | |
| 5 B boron |||||
| use | | | 16200 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 16200 | |
| 6 C carbon |||||
| use | |
| WEL | | | 18350 | |
| 11 Na sodium |||||
| use | | | 3200 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3200 | |
| 12 Mg magnesium |||||
| use | 5770 | 3050 | 4940 | room temperature, annealed |
| CRC | 5770 | 3050 | 4940 | annealed |
| WEL | | | 4602 | |
| 13 Al aluminium |||||
| use | 6420 | 3040 | 5000 | room temperature, rolled |
| CRC | 6420 | 3040 | 5000 | rolled |
| WEL | | | 5100 | |
| 14 Si silicon |||||
| use | 8433 | 5843 | | |
| Cij | 8433 | 5843 | | from C11=165.64 GPa, C44=79.51 GPa, ro1=2.329 g/cm3 |
| WEL | | | 2200 | 20 °C - note: probably wrong (see talk) |
| 19 K potassium |||||
| use | | | 2000 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2000 | |
| 20 Ca calcium |||||
| use | | | 3810 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3810 | |
| 22 Ti titanium |||||
| use | 6070 | 3125 | 5090 | room temperature |
| CRC | 6070 | 3125 | 5090 | |
| WEL | | | 4140 | |
| 23 V vanadium |||||
| use | | | 4560 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 4560 | |
| 24 Cr chromium |||||
| use | 6608 | 4005 | 5940 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 5940 | |
| 25 Mn manganese |||||
| use | | | 5150 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 5150 | |
| 26 Fe iron |||||
| use | 5950 | 3240 | 5120 | room temperature, electrolytic |
| CRC | 4994 | 2809 | 4480 | cast |
| CRC | 5950 | 3240 | 5120 | electrolytic |
| CRC | 5960 | 3240 | 5200 | Armco |
| WEL | | | 4910 | |
| 27 Co cobalt |||||
| use | | | 4720 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 4720 | |
| 28 Ni nickel |||||
| use | 6040 | 3000 | 4900 | room temperature |
| CRC | 6040 | 3000 | 4900 | |
| WEL | | | 4970 | |
| 29 Cu copper |||||
| use | 4760 | 2325 | 3810 | room temperature, annealed |
| CRC | 4760 | 2325 | 3810 | annealed |
| CRC | 5010 | 2270 | 3750 | rolled |
| WEL | | | 3570 | |
| 30 Zn zinc |||||
| use | 4210 | 2440 | 3850 | room temperature, rolled |
| CRC | 4210 | 2440 | 3850 | rolled |
| WEL | | | 3700 | |
| 31 Ga gallium |||||
| use | | | 2740 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2740 | |
| 32 Ge germanium |||||
| use | | | 5400 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 5400 | |
| 34 Se selenium |||||
| use | | | 3350 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3350 | |
| 37 Rb rubidium |||||
| use | | | 1300 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 1300 | |
| 39 Y yttrium |||||
| use | | | 3300 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3300 | |
| 40 Zr zirconium |||||
| use | | | 3800 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3800 | |
| 41 Nb niobium |||||
| use | | | 3480 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3480 | |
| 42 Mo molybdenum |||||
| use | 6250 | 3350 | 5400 | room temperature |
| CRC | 6250 | 3350 | 5400 | |
| WEL | | | 6190 | |
| 44 Ru ruthenium |||||
| use | | | 5970 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 5970 | |
| 45 Rh rhodium |||||
| use | | | 4700 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 4700 | |
| 46 Pd palladium |||||
| use | | | 3070 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3070 | |
| 47 Ag silver |||||
| use | 3650 | 1610 | 2680 | room temperature |
| CRC | 3650 | 1610 | 2680 | |
| WEL | | | 2600 | |
| 48 Cd cadmium |||||
| use | | | 2310 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2310 | |
| 49 In indium |||||
| use | | | 1215 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 1215 | |
| 50 Sn tin |||||
| use | 3320 | 1670 | 2730 | room temperature, rolled |
| CRC | 3320 | 1670 | 2730 | rolled |
| WEL | | | 2500 | |
| 51 Sb antimony |||||
| use | | | 3420 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3420 | |
| 52 Te tellurium |||||
| use | | | 2610 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2610 | |
| 56 Ba barium |||||
| use | | | 1620 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 1620 | |
| 57 La lanthanum |||||
| use | | | 2475 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2475 | |
| 58 Ce cerium |||||
| use | | | 2100 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2100 | |
| 59 Pr praseodymium |||||
| use | | | 2280 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2280 | |
| 60 Nd neodymium |||||
| use | | | 2330 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2330 | |
| 62 Sm samarium |||||
| use | | | 2130 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2130 | |
| 64 Gd gadolinium |||||
| use | | | 2680 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2680 | |
| 65 Tb terbium |||||
| use | | | 2620 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2620 | |
| 66 Dy dysprosium |||||
| use | | | 2710 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2710 | |
| 67 Ho holmium |||||
| use | | | 2760 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2760 | |
| 68 Er erbium |||||
| use | | | 2830 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2830 | |
| 70 Yb ytterbium |||||
| use | | | 1590 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 1590 | |
| 72 Hf hafnium |||||
| use | | | 3010 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3010 | |
| 73 Ta tantalum |||||
| use | | | 3400 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3400 | |
| 74 W tungsten |||||
| use | 5220 | 2890 | 4620 | room temperature, annealed |
| CRC | 5220 | 2890 | 4620 | annealed |
| CRC | 5410 | 2640 | 4320 | drawn |
| WEL | | | 5174 | |
| 75 Re rhenium |||||
| use | | | 4700 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 4700 | |
| 76 Os osmium |||||
| use | | | 4940 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 4940 | |
| 77 Ir iridium |||||
| use | | | 4825 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 4825 | |
| 78 Pt platinum |||||
| use | 3830 | 1680 | 2800 | room temperature. Calculated using Wikipedia reported values for density (21450 kg/m$^3$), Young's Modulus (167 GPa), and Poisson's ratio (0.38) |
| CRC | 3260 | 1730 | 2800 | CRC cites American Institute of Physics Handbook (AIPH) table 3f-2 for this value, but in AIPH table 2f-6 there are elastic constants reported that yield 3700,1570, 2620 |
| WEL | | | 2680 | |
| AIPH | 3700 | 1570 | 2620 | Table 2f-6. Calculated from Young's modulus of 147 GPa (lower than commonly accepted for Platinum), Poisson's ratio of 0.39, density of 21370 kg/m$^3$ |
| 79 Au gold |||||
| use | 3240 | 1200 | 2030 | room temperature, hard-drawn |
| CRC | 3240 | 1200 | 2030 | hard-drawn |
| WEL | | | 1740 | |
| 81 Tl thallium |||||
| use | | | 818 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 818 | |
| 82 Pb lead |||||
| use | 2160 | 700 | 1190 | room temperature, annealed |
| CRC | 2160 | 700 | 1190 | annealed |
| CRC | 1960 | 690 | 1210 | rolled |
| WEL | | | 1260 | |
| 83 Bi bismuth |||||
| use | | | 1790 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 1790 | |
| 90 Th thorium |||||
| use | | | 2490 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2490 | |
| 92 U uranium |||||
| use | | | 3155 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 3155 | |
| 94 Pu plutonium |||||
| use | | | 2260 | 20 °C |
| WEL | | | 2260 | |

## Speed of sound, fluid phases

| | m/s | notes |
| 1 H hydrogen (gas) |||
| use | 1310 | 27 °C |
| CRC | 1310 | 27 °C |
| WEL | 1270 | |
| Zuckerwar | 1270 | 20 °C, 1 atm |
| CRC | 890 | deuterium, 0 °C |
| 1 H hydrogen (liquid) |||
| use | 1101 | −252.9 °C |
| CRC | 1101 | −252.9 °C |
| 2 He helium (gas) |||
| use | 965 | 0 °C |
| CRC | 965 | 0 °C |
| Zuckerwar | 1007 | 20 °C, 1 atm |
| WEL | 970 | |
| 2 He helium (liquid) |||
| use | 180 | −268.9 °C |
| CRC | 180 | −268.9 °C |
| 7 N nitrogen (gas) |||
| use | 353 | 27 °C |
| CRC | 353 | 27 °C |
| Zuckerwar | 349 | 20 °C, 1 atm |
| WEL | 333.6 | |
| 7 N nitrogen (liquid) |||
| use | 939 | −195.8 °C |
| CRC | 939 | −195.8 °C |
| 8 O oxygen (gas) |||
| use | 330 | 27 °C |
| CRC | 330 | 27 °C |
| Zuckerwar | 326 | 20 °C, 1 atm |
| WEL | 317.5 | |
| 8 O oxygen (liquid) |||
| use | 906 | −183.0 °C |
| CRC | 906 | −183.0 °C |
| 10 Ne neon (gas) |||
| use | 435 | 0 °C |
| CRC | 435 | 0 °C |
| WEL | 936 (presumably for liquid?) | |
| 17 Cl chlorine (gas) |||
| use | 206 | 0 °C |
| CRC | 206 | 0 °C |
| WEL | 206 | |
| 18 Ar argon (gas) |||
| use | 323 | 27 °C |
| CRC | 323 | 27 °C |
| Zuckerwar | 319 | 20 °C, 1 atm |
| WEL | 319 | |
| 18 Ar argon (liquid) |||
| use | 813 | −185.9 °C |
| CRC | 813 | −185.9 °C |
| 36 Kr krypton (gas) |||
| use | 221 | 20 °C |
| Zuckerwar | 221 | 20 °C, 1 atm |
| talk | 220 ± 1, prelim. experimental value | 23 °C, 101.3 kPa |
| 36 Kr krypton (liquid) |||
| use | 1120 | |
| 88RAB | 1120 | |
| WEL | 1120 | |
| 54 Xe xenon (gas) |||
| use | 178 | 20 °C, 1 atm |
| Zuckerwar | 178 | 20 °C, 1 atm |
| 54 Xe xenon (liquid) |||
| use | 1090 | |
| 88RAB | 1090 | |
| WEL | 1090 | |
| 80 Hg mercury (liquid) |||
| use | 1451.4 | 20 °C |
| CR2 | 1460.8 | 0 °C |
| CR2 | 1451.4 | 20 °C |
| CRC | 1450 | 25 °C |
| WEL | 1407 | |