Question

What is speed of sound and speed of light?

Answer 1

Hint:Speed is distance travelled per unit time by anybody in the inertial frame of reference. Speed is independent of direction. Thus considered to be the scalar quantity.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Speed of light: Distance travelled by light per second in vacuum is defined as speed of the light. Since light does not not require any physical medium its value in vacuum is considered to be the universal constant 299,792,458 meters per second. This value is constant universal and used for various scientific and technical purposes. Light speed is used to calculate a longer distance or we can say astronomical distance. Since the speed of light is constant considering it we can have longer distance which is calculated in light years. Light travels at a speed of 299,792 kilometers per second; 186,287 miles per second. It takes 499.0 seconds for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth, a distance called 1 Astronomical Unit.
Speed of sound: Speed of sound is distance travelled in meters per second in any physical medium. Sound is a longitudinal wave and it requires a material medium to propagate. Sound can travel in vacuum the denser the medium more is the speed of sound. Thus the speed of sound is more in solids as compared to fluids. Speed of sound is 343m/s in air at 20degree Celsius. Since medium property changes with change in temperature, pressure and other environmental conditions.

Note:National institute of standard and technology is responsible for maintaining the standards established in the US. The same is maintained by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). NPL and NIST and such organizations which are responsible for maintenance of universal standards.