Calculating Sound Travel Time at 20°C

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the time required for sound to travel 1.90 m at 20°C, the speed of sound in air must first be determined, which is approximately 343 m/s at this temperature. The equation for time can be derived from the relationship between speed, distance, and time, expressed as time = distance/speed. The discussion emphasizes the importance of using the correct values for speed and distance to find the solution. Participants clarify that the ideal gas equation is not applicable for this specific calculation, as it misuses variables. Ultimately, the correct approach involves using the known speed of sound and the given distance to compute the travel time.
sheri1987
Messages
47
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



The distance between a loudspeaker and the left ear of a listener is 1.90 m.

(a) Calculate the time required for sound to travel this distance if the air temperature is 20°C.


Homework Equations


I am not sure, I tried looking in my text...but the only equation I could come up with is velocity = sqroot(ykT/m)
where y = specific heat, k is the Boltzmann constant, T is the given temp in K, and m is the distance..


The Attempt at a Solution



I have no idea where to even start, because only 2 things are known x in meters and the Temp 20 deg or 293 K. Can anyone help me out?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You need the speed of sound in air. You can either look up the experimental real value or use the ideal gas approximation root(ykT/m) but here m is the molar mass of air not the distance!
You then use speed and distance to get the time.
 
what equation can you solve for time by having speed and distance?
 
sheri1987 said:
what equation can you solve for time by having speed and distance?

Did you really mean to write that!
What is the definition of speed?
 

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 'Rolling without slipping on a curved surface'

Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .
View full post »

Similar threads

Sound Wave Interference Problem
Replies
5
Views
2K
What Is the Reflection Distance and SPL of Sound in an Auditorium?
Replies
7
Views
2K
Solving for Time to Reach Ground: Calculating Velocity of Sound over 50m
Replies
2
Views
2K
Sound Power Level (SPL) of a loudspeaker
Replies
11
Views
2K
Are the 2nd and 3rd problems in this video correctly solved? (charged dipole and organ pipe problems)
Replies
3
Views
1K
Irodov 1.23 confusion: Calculate distance traveled and time elapsed for this decelerating particle
Replies
2
Views
866
Time dilation for a simple problem — Light propagating inside a moving bus
Replies
12
Views
1K
Frequency of Reflected Underwater Sound Wave
Replies
2
Views
2K
Help with question on motion: Avoiding a rear-end collision
Replies
6
Views
3K
What is the Maximum Wavelength for Constructive Interference of Sound Waves?
Replies
3
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top