acoustic thermometry
nounDefinition of acoustic thermometry
: a technique for measuring the temperature of something (such as a region of ocean water) by measuring how long it takes sound to travel through it
Because sound travels faster in warm water than in cold, this method, called acoustic thermometry, could provide a precise method of taking the ocean’s temperature, they reasoned.— R. Monastersky, Science News, 29 Aug. 1998
Note: The speed of sound through a substance changes in a predictable way as the temperature of the substance changes. By timing a pulse of sound as it passes through a substance, it is possible to determine exactly how warm or cold the substance is.
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