Changing the temperature does affect the speed of sound but not its wavelength. Let's understand why:
The speed of sound in a medium is determined by the properties of that medium, particularly its density and elasticity. In general, as the temperature of a medium increases, the speed of sound in that medium also increases. This relationship holds true for most gases, liquids, and solids.
The reason behind this phenomenon is that temperature affects the average speed of molecules or particles in a medium. When the temperature rises, the molecules or particles move with greater energy and collide more frequently. As a result, the transmission of mechanical vibrations (sound) through the medium becomes faster, leading to an increase in the speed of sound.
However, the wavelength of sound is not directly affected by changes in temperature. The wavelength of a sound wave is determined by the frequency of the wave and the speed of sound in the medium. Since the speed of sound changes with temperature, but the frequency of the sound wave remains constant, the wavelength adjusts to maintain a consistent relationship between the speed of sound and the frequency.
In other words, as the speed of sound increases with temperature, the wavelength also increases to keep the product of the speed and frequency constant, according to the equation: Speed of sound = Frequency × Wavelength.
So, while temperature affects the speed of sound, it does not directly influence the wavelength of sound waves.