Finding Distance from a Crash with Asymmetric Hearing

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a sound problem involving a swimmer who hears a crash in both water and air, with different speeds of sound in each medium. The scenario includes calculating the distance from the crash based on the time it takes for sound to travel through water and air.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the time it takes for sound to travel in water and air, with one suggesting to express the time in terms of a variable. Others question how to relate the time ratios to find the distance.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided guidance on setting up equations to relate the distances and times for sound in both media. There is an ongoing exploration of the relationships between the variables involved, but no consensus has been reached yet.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working within the constraints of the problem, including the specific speeds of sound in water and air at given temperatures, and the time delay experienced by the swimmer.

PiRsq
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Sound Problem...

A swimmer with one ear underwater and one ear above water in air, hears a crash. She hears the crash in the water first where the Veloctiy of the wave in water was 1500m/s. The air temperature is 20°C and she hears the wave again after 2.0 seconds but this time she hears it through the ear that's above the water. Find the distance from the crash...


What I tried was this:

-Vair=332 + 0.59 (20°) = 343.8m/s

-Since she hears the sound in air 2 seconds after it must've traveled at least 343.8*2 = 687.6 m

So is the distance is 687.6 m?


Thx for help...
 
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Try again.

Let t = time it took for the sound to arrive in water.

Now, in terms of t, how long did it take in air?

See if you can do anything with that...
 
Im sorry I don't understand...If i find the ratio of the time it took for water than air, how will that help me?
 
Ok, you know the speed of sound in air at 20 degrees, right?

let x be the distance...
x/1500 = t1 (time taken in water)

x/speed of sound in air (20C) = t2

t2 = t1 + 2 (since it is two seconds later)

x/speed of sound in air(20 C) = x/1500 + 2

Now, solve.
 
k thanks ill try that
 

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