How Fast Is Air Molecule (average)?

Air molecules zip around at 500 m/s on average — already faster than sound. Every molecule of air around you collides with you about 10 billion times every second; we feel this constant bombardment as 'air pressure'.

Air molecules zip around at 500 m/s but constantly collide — they bounce billions of times per second, which is why diffusion is much slower than the molecule speed.

• Faster than sound
• 10 billion collisions per second on you