Calculating Distance Traveled by a Car's Sound Emission

AI Thread Summary
A car traveling at 30 m/s emits a 220 Hz sound, with the speed of sound being 343 m/s. The period of the sound is calculated to be 4.54 ms, during which the sound travels approximately 1.557 meters. The distance the car travels in that same period is 0.1362 meters. The calculations confirm that the wavelength of the sound is 1.557 meters, but this changes based on the observer's position relative to the car. The discussion concludes that the initial calculations were indeed correct.
Eng67
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I am having a problem with the following question.

A car is moving at 30 m/s. The cars horn is emmitting a 220 hz sound. The speed of sound is 343 m/s. How far does the the car move in one period of the sound emitted from the horn.

I am having a problem determining the distance formula.
The period of the 220 hz sound is 1/220hz = 4.54 ms

so in 4.54 ms the sound has traveled 1.55722 meters (343 * .00454)

Now the distance the car travels would be (4.54 ms * 30 m/s) = .1362 meters

Is this the correct way to go about this problem?
 
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Eng67 said:
I am having a problem with the following question.

A car is moving at 30 m/s. The cars horn is emmitting a 220 hz sound. The speed of sound is 343 m/s. How far does the the car move in one period of the sound emitted from the horn.

I am having a problem determining the distance formula.
The period of the 220 hz sound is 1/220hz = 4.54 ms

so in 4.54 ms the sound has traveled 1.55722 meters (343 * .00454)

Now the distance the car travels would be (4.54 ms * 30 m/s) = .1362 meters

Is this the correct way to go about this problem?
Yes. 1.557 meters is the wavelength of the sound: \lambda = v/f. The apparent wavelength depends on where the observer is. If the observer is behind the car, the wavelength appears to be 1.557+.1362. If the observer is in front, it is .1557 - .1362.

AM
 
Thanks!

I thought I was correct in my calculations.
 
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