How Fast Does Sound Travel Through Water and Granite?

AI Thread Summary
Sound travels through water at approximately 1480 m/s, and the echo from the explosion took 0.94 seconds, indicating the sound traveled a total distance of 695.6 meters. This distance includes both the descent to the oil deposit and the ascent back, meaning the actual depth to the oil is 195.6 meters below the granite basin. However, the book states the total depth to reach the oil is 760 meters, suggesting additional factors need to be considered. The discussion raises questions about the time it takes for sound to travel through the 500 meters of water and the speed of sound in granite, which is typically around 4000 m/s. Understanding these variables is crucial for accurate drilling depth calculations.
bigsaucy
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Hi all, quick problem I'm having trouble with.

Oil explorers set off explosives to make louds sounds, then listens for the echoes from underground oil deposits. Geologists suspect that there is oil under 500-m deep lake physics. It's known that lake physics is carved out of a granite basin. Explorers detect a weak echo 0.94s after exploding dynamite at the lake surface. If it's really oil, how deep will they have to drill into the granite to reach it?

i reasoned that since the speed of sound in water is 1480 m/s and it takes (0.94/2) or 0.47 seconds to reach the oil bed, that the sound wave from the explosion travels 695.6m which is 195.6m from the granite basin. the book says the answer is 760m
 
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How long does it take for the sound to travel through the 500m of water? What's the speed of sound in granite?
 

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