Ship and Iceberg - Speed of sound question

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the distance from the ship to the iceberg, the speed of sound in air at 5°C is necessary, as indicated by the answer sheet. Although the presence of fog increases water content in the air, it does not significantly alter the speed of sound compared to dry air at the same temperature. The discussion highlights that while water affects sound speed, the primary medium for sound in this scenario is air. Participants initially considered water's impact but concluded it was negligible for this calculation. Ultimately, the captain needs the speed of sound in air at 5°C for accurate distance measurement.
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Homework Statement



17.While cruising the North Atlantic in a fog, a ship blew its horn, and received an echo from an iceberg 4.0 s later. The temperature of the air was 5°C, the temperature of the iceberg was 0°C, and the temperature of the water was 2°C In order to calculate the distance from the ship to the iceberg, the captain must also know the speed of sound in:

A.
ice at 0°C.
B.
water at 2°C.
C.
water at 0°C.
D.
air at 0°C.
E.
air at 5°C.



Homework Equations



n/a

The Attempt at a Solution



If there were no fog the answer would definitely be E, but since there is a significant
amount of water in the air I thought the answer was B.

Turns out the water doesn't make a difference because the answer sheet says E. :confused:
Could somebody please explain?
 
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fchen720 said:
If there were no fog the answer would definitely be E, but since there is a significant
amount of water in the air I thought the answer was B.

Turns out the water doesn't make a difference because the answer sheet says E. :confused:
Could somebody please explain?
Water content has some effect on the speed of sound in air so to be perfectly accurate you should have the speed of sound in saturated air at 5° C. But I expect it is not much different than the speed of sound in dry air at the same temperature.

AM
 
fchen720 said:

Homework Statement



17.While cruising the North Atlantic in a fog, a ship blew its horn, and received an echo from an iceberg 4.0 s later. The temperature of the air was 5°C, the temperature of the iceberg was 0°C, and the temperature of the water was 2°C In order to calculate the distance from the ship to the iceberg, the captain must also know the speed of sound in:

A.
ice at 0°C.
B.
water at 2°C.
C.
water at 0°C.
D.
air at 0°C.
E.
air at 5°C.



Homework Equations



n/a

The Attempt at a Solution



If there were no fog the answer would definitely be E, but since there is a significant
amount of water in the air I thought the answer was B.

Turns out the water doesn't make a difference because the answer sheet says E. :confused:
Could somebody please explain?
The sound is traveling through what medium? What is the temperature of that medium?
 
While foggy air certainly contains more water than dry air, I think you'll agree it doesn't have anywhere close to as much water in it as the sea.
 
Thanks to everyone who answered.
 

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