Scientists find upper limit for the speed of sound

The speed of sound is the distance travelled by a sound wave per unit of time. Did you know the speed of sound is not always the same? The sound waves can travel through different mediums, such as solids, air or water, at different speeds. They can travel much faster through solids than through liquids or gases.

In a research, scientists have discovered the fastest possible speed of sound – about 36 km per second, which is about twice the speed of sound in diamond, the hardest known material in the world.

However, such high speeds are only possible when solid atomic hydrogen is at very high atmospheric pressure, pressure comparable to those in the core of gas giants like Jupiter.