The problem involves calculating the time delay of a watch set by the sound of a factory whistle located 3 miles away, considering the speed of sound in air at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. Participants are exploring the relationship between sound speed, distance, and time.
There is ongoing exploration of the problem with participants sharing calculations and questioning their results. Some guidance has been offered regarding the relationship between distance, speed, and time, but no consensus has been reached on the final answer.
Participants are working under the constraints of the problem's parameters, including the temperature and the distance to the factory. There is also a mention of the common experience of thunder and lightning as a conceptual reference point for understanding sound delay.
DaveC426913 said:How fast does sound travel through air at 20C?
kriegera said:Still a little lost here:
In general, at 68 F (20 C) sound travels at 1130 ft/sec (344.4 m/sec.)
3 miles = 15 840 feet
3 miles = 4 828.032 meters
but not sure how to put it together in equation format?
DaveC426913 said:Really?
You've got a velocity and a distance; you're being asked to solve for time.
You say you're tried over and over. Show your attempts.
kriegera said:T=V/D =
T=15840 ft/ 1130ft/s = 14.018 seconds.
DaveC426913 said:Does that sound about right? What does your intuition tell you? Think of thunder & lightning.