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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Takai, Helio, Tomaszewski, Tom, Tomaszewski, Jeremy, Sundermier, Joe
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21368
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author Takai, Helio
Tomaszewski, Tom
Tomaszewski, Jeremy
Sundermier, Joe
author_facet Takai, Helio
Tomaszewski, Tom
Tomaszewski, Jeremy
Sundermier, Joe
contents Understanding how sound propagates through different media is fundamental to both science and technology. While sound plays a critical role in natural navigation and underlies a wide range of applications - from medical ultrasound to sonar and gas analysis - its teaching in classrooms often remains limited to traditional and abstract demonstrations. This paper presents an accessible, low-cost experimental setup that enables students to measure the speed of sound in gases using time-of-flight techniques. Constructed from common materials and powered by open-source software, the device provides accurate, hands-on measurements while allowing students to explore the effects of temperature, pressure, and gas composition. By making acoustic wave physics tangible and interactive, this approach fosters deeper conceptual understanding and promotes active experimentation in diverse educational environments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_21368
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Measuring Sound, One Ping at a Time
Takai, Helio
Tomaszewski, Tom
Tomaszewski, Jeremy
Sundermier, Joe
Physics Education
Understanding how sound propagates through different media is fundamental to both science and technology. While sound plays a critical role in natural navigation and underlies a wide range of applications - from medical ultrasound to sonar and gas analysis - its teaching in classrooms often remains limited to traditional and abstract demonstrations. This paper presents an accessible, low-cost experimental setup that enables students to measure the speed of sound in gases using time-of-flight techniques. Constructed from common materials and powered by open-source software, the device provides accurate, hands-on measurements while allowing students to explore the effects of temperature, pressure, and gas composition. By making acoustic wave physics tangible and interactive, this approach fosters deeper conceptual understanding and promotes active experimentation in diverse educational environments.
title Measuring Sound, One Ping at a Time
topic Physics Education
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21368