Final answer:
To find the distance of a person from a cliff using the echo return time, you halve the time to account for the round trip and multiply by the speed of sound. A person standing 232.5 meters away from a cliff will hear an echo in 1.5 seconds if the sound speed is 310 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the distance of a person from a cliff using the time taken for an echo to return, we use the formula:
Distance = Speed × Time
The speed of sound is given as 310 m/s. However, since sound has to travel to the cliff and back, the time taken for the echo to return is actually the time for the round trip. Therefore, to find the one-way distance, we have to halve the time.
Given:
- Speed of sound = 310 m/s
- Time for echo to return = 1.5 s
Calculation:
Time for one way = Time for echo to return / 2 = 1.5 s / 2 = 0.75 s
Distance from the cliff = Speed of sound × Time for one way = 310 m/s × 0.75 s = 232.5 meters
Therefore, the person is 232.5 meters away from the cliff.