Air is made up of tiny molecules, and when the metal gong bends inward and outward, it creates a wave. The wave travels outward from the gong, becoming weaker and weaker until it dies away. The Speed of Sound Sound waves travel at a constant speed, regardless of the loudness or softness of a sound. Temperature, however, does affect their speed. At room temperature, sound travels in the air at a speed of 1,130 feet per second.
Sound waves travel one mile in about five seconds.
The three basic properties of any pure sound are its pitch, its intensity, and its quality. The Pitch of Sounds Pitch is simply the rate at which vibrations are produced. Another way to define the pitch of a tone is to find its wavelength. The wavelength of a particular tone is equal to the velocity of sound divided by the frequency of the tone. The intensity of a sound has nothing to do with its pitch.