I was just wondering what is the speed of smell?!
Question:
I was just wondering what is the speed of smell?
Answers:
'Aromatics' (the chemicals that activate 'receptors' in your nose, causing you to smell something) get into your nose via the air.
Some of them aren't really light enough to float in air; they settle out very quickly, and mainly move downwards. They will be affected by air currents, but will drift more slowly than the measured airspeed.
Aromatics that are fully supported by the air, will move in any direction, and at the same speed as, the wind blows. You won't smell anything until its 'aromatics' reach your olfactory (smell) receptors, so 'the speed of smell' is roughly the same as the windspeed.
There will be a variation, according to whether you are breathing out when the aromatics reach you, or breathing in, so the length of your own breathing cycle would need to be averaged and factored into the calculation.