How Do I Correct My Physics Calculations?

  • Thread starter squib
  • Start date
In summary, when a sound wave at a frequency of 2.25 MHZ(10^6) travels through a pregnant woman's abdomen and is reflected by the fetal heart wall, the speed of the fetal heart wall at the instant of measurement can be calculated by multiplying the speed of sound in body tissue (1510 m/s) by the ratio of the frequency and the sum of the frequency and the detected beats per second, and then subtracting the speed of sound.
  • #1
squib
40
0
Went back and tried these again, still no luck.

A sound wave travels at a frequency 2.25 MHZ(10^6) through a pregnant woman's abdomen and is reflected from the fetal heart wall of her unborn baby. The heart wall is moving toward the sound receiver as the heart beats. The reflected sound is then mixed with the transmitted sound, and 87.0 beats per second are detected. The speed of sound in body tissue is 1510 m/s. Calculate the speed of the fetal heart wall at the instant this measurement is made.

I come up with:
[1510(((2.25*10^6)+87)/(2.25*10^6))]-1510 m/s
Does anyone see an error in this?

Next,
A certain pipe produces a fundamental frequency of f in air.
If the pipe is filled with helium at the same temperature, what fundamental frequency does it produce? (Take the molar mass of air to be M_air, and the molar mass of helium to be M_He.)

I get:
(f*sqrt(M_air))/sqrt(M_He)))
This is off by a multiplicative factor...
Does anyone see my error?
 
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  • #2
squib said:
I come up with:
[1510(((2.25*10^6)+87)/(2.25*10^6))]-1510 m/s
Does anyone see an error in this?

It seems right to me, but I am always forgetting factors of [itex] 2 \pi[/itex] when dealing with frequencies.


squib said:
I get:
(f*sqrt(M_air))/sqrt(M_He)))
This is off by a multiplicative factor...
Does anyone see my error?

Gosh, it sure looks right to me. The frequency depends on the speed of sound in the gas, which is proportional to 1/sqrt(mass). Do you suppose that they are looking for an equivalent form like (f*sqrt(M_air/M_He)).

Carl
 
  • #3
squib said:
Went back and tried these again, still no luck.

A sound wave travels at a frequency 2.25 MHZ(10^6) through a pregnant woman's abdomen and is reflected from the fetal heart wall of her unborn baby. The heart wall is moving toward the sound receiver as the heart beats. The reflected sound is then mixed with the transmitted sound, and 87.0 beats per second are detected. The speed of sound in body tissue is 1510 m/s. Calculate the speed of the fetal heart wall at the instant this measurement is made.

I come up with:
[1510(((2.25*10^6)+87)/(2.25*10^6))]-1510 m/s
Does anyone see an error in this?

Mastering Physics? i understand
Multiply your final equation by 2
 

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