How Far Does a Bat's Echo Travel in a Cave?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a sound-related problem involving a bat emitting a sound pulse in a cave and the time taken to receive the echo. The subject area is acoustics, specifically the behavior of sound waves in air.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between speed, distance, and time, questioning how to apply the speed of sound in air to the problem. There are inquiries about whether the total time should be adjusted for the round trip of the sound.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered guidance on using the velocity equation and have pointed out the need to consider the total distance traveled by the sound. Multiple interpretations of how to approach the problem are being explored, but no consensus has been reached.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working within the constraints of a homework assignment, which may limit the information they can provide or the methods they can use to solve the problem.

tx_179
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Need help with a SOUND question~!><

A bat flying in a cave emits a sound pulse and receives its echo in 2.9 s. How far away is the cave wall?
 
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Do you know of an equation relating speed, distance and time?

What is the speed of sound waves in a 'cave' (i.e in air)?

Don't forget that the sound needs to travel to the cave wall AND back
 


v=d/t
340m/s
 


And you can't solve it from here?
 


So, do you take 2.9 times by 2??
 


re-arrange your velocity equation, plug in the numbers and solve for distance. Just know, that the distance you end up with will be the TOTAL distance the sound waves traveled, from the bat to the wall and back to the bat.
 

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