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.
fchen720
Messages
17
Reaction score
0

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?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
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.
 

Thread 'Struggling to understand the concept of this question (ice cube in water optics question)'

TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...
View full post »
Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'

Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'

Starting with the mass considerations #m(t)# is mass of water #M_{c}# mass of container and #M(t)# mass of total system $$M(t) = M_{C} + m(t)$$ $$\Rightarrow \frac{dM(t)}{dt} = \frac{dm(t)}{dt}$$ $$P_i = Mv + u \, dm$$ $$P_f = (M + dm)(v + dv)$$ $$\Delta P = M \, dv + (v - u) \, dm$$ $$F = \frac{dP}{dt} = M \frac{dv}{dt} + (v - u) \frac{dm}{dt}$$ $$F = u \frac{dm}{dt} = \rho A u^2$$ from conservation of momentum , the cannon recoils with the same force which it applies. $$\quad \frac{dm}{dt}...
View full post »

Similar threads

Frequency of Reflected Underwater Sound Wave
Replies
2
Views
2K
Speed of Sound using a Resonant tube
Replies
12
Views
4K
Measuring the Speed of Sound: Examining the Frequency of Clicks
Replies
3
Views
4K
Finding Distance with given 2 speeds and a time
Replies
5
Views
2K
Solve for Echo Time in Saltwater and Air - Physics Problem
Replies
5
Views
2K
Calculating Echo Time for Sound in Water and Air
Replies
1
Views
3K
Wavelength of the sounds at zero degrees
Replies
7
Views
6K
Calculate Additional Time for Echo in Air to Return | Physics Problem
Replies
10
Views
5K
Depth of a well (using speed of sound)
Replies
6
Views
3K
Please help Speed of sound in air/temperature relation
Replies
1
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top