Final answer:
The elephants would hear the sound of the boulder crashing approximately 3.04 seconds after it hits the ground, using the closest given speed of sound at 29°C, which is 343 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the time it would take for sound to travel from a falling boulder to a herd of elephants that is 1,044 meters away. To determine this, we need to know the speed of sound at the given temperature. At 29°C, the approximate speed of sound in air is 344.8 m/s (rounded up from 344.26 m/s, using the formula v = 331.4 + (0.6 × temperature)), but none of the options exactly match this value. The closest given option is 343 m/s. Using this speed, the time it would take for the sound to travel can be calculated using the formula:
Time = distance / speed of sound
Time = 1,044 m / 343 m/s
Time ≈ 3.04 seconds
Therefore, it would take approximately 3.04 seconds for the elephants to hear the sound of the boulder crashing.