Question

Ilus

A bat bounces a sound wave off a
bird 19.4 m away, and hears the
echo after 0.117 s. What is the
speed of sound in the air?
(Hint: It is not necessarily 343 m/s.)
(Unit = m/s)

Answer 1

332m/s

Step-by-step explanation:

We know the formula for velocity is v=d/t, but this particular question is asking about an echo. The problem tells us the distance to the bird from the bat, which is 19.4. To find the echo, you need to find the distance from the bat to the bird and back.

So

19.4 x 2 = 38.8

And then plug into the equation

v = 38.8 / 0.117

= 332m/s