Question

A bat can detect small objects, such as an insect, whose size is approximately equal to one wavelength of the sound the bat makes. If bats emit a chirp at a frequency of 7.84 104 Hz, and if the speed of sound in air is 343 m/s, what is the smallest insect a bat can detect?

Answer 1

0.4375 cm

Step-by-step explanation:

f = frequency of the chirp emitted by the bats = 7.84 x 10⁴ Hz

v = speed of sound in air = 343 m/s

λ = smallest wavelength = size of the smallest insect a bat can detect

Using the equation

v = f λ

inserting the values

343 = (7.84 x 10⁴) λ

λ =
`(343)/(7.84* 10^(4))`

λ = 43.75 x 10⁻⁴ m

λ = 0.4375 cm