Calculating Distance from Sound and Light Speeds

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the maximum distance between a celebrity and a television viewer based on the speeds of sound and light during a live press conference. The viewer hears the sound after it is transmitted from a microphone positioned in front of the celebrity, with specific distances provided for both the viewer and a reporter at the event.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to derive equations for the time taken for sound to reach both the television viewer and the reporter, questioning how to combine these equations effectively. They express uncertainty about the relationship between the times for the two listeners.

Discussion Status

Some participants have contributed by suggesting a relationship between the times, while others have posed additional questions regarding the time it takes for sound to travel a specific distance and the corresponding distance light would travel in that time. There appears to be a productive exchange of ideas, although no consensus has been reached.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes a focus on the assumption that the sound reaches both the television viewer and the reporter simultaneously, which is central to the problem's setup. There is also mention of the specific distances involved and the speed of sound being used for calculations.

kris24tf
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A celebrity holds a press conference, which is televised live. A television viewer hears the sound picked up by a microphone directly in front of the celebrity. This viewer is seated 3.3 m from the television set. A reporter at the press conference is located 5.3 m from the microphone and hears the words directly at the very same instant that the television viewer hears them. Using a value of 343 m/s for the speed of sound, determine the maximum distance between the television viewer and the celebrity.

I have derived the equations for each situation. I have t1= s1/v for the time for the sound to reach the tv viewer, t2=s2/v for the time for the sound to reach the reporter and t=s/c for the time it takes the EM wave to reach the tv set, but so far, I am not sure how to combine these equatios. I thought that t2 should equal t1 since it says the sounds hits them at the same instant, but this doesn't seem to work. Can anyone help me out with this one?
 
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t1 + t = t2

MP
 
kris24tf said:
A celebrity holds a press conference, which is televised live. A television viewer hears the sound picked up by a microphone directly in front of the celebrity. This viewer is seated 3.3 m from the television set. A reporter at the press conference is located 5.3 m from the microphone and hears the words directly at the very same instant that the television viewer hears them. Using a value of 343 m/s for the speed of sound, determine the maximum distance between the television viewer and the celebrity.
The difference in sound paths is two metres. How long does it take for the sound to travel 2 m.? What distance would an EM signal or light travel in that time?

AM
 
Thanks AM, that made it very easy.
 

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