* Sound travels through vibrations: Sound waves travel through a medium by causing particles (like air molecules) to vibrate.
* Temperature affects vibration: As temperature increases, air molecules move faster and collide more frequently, leading to increased vibrations. This faster vibration allows sound waves to travel more quickly.
* Lower temperature, slower speed: When the temperature drops below 0 degrees Celsius, the air molecules slow down and vibrate less frequently. This slower vibration means the sound waves propagate more slowly.
In summary: The speed of sound is directly proportional to the square root of the absolute temperature of the medium. So, as the temperature decreases, the speed of sound also decreases.
