Final answer:
To estimate the distance to a wall using sound, one can make a noise and time the echo's return. Given the speed of sound in air, the round-trip time is divided by two and multiplied by the speed of sound to calculate the distance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sound can be used to estimate the distance to a wall by using the echo timing method. When a person claps or makes a sound, the sound waves travel towards the wall and are reflected back to the person. By measuring the time it takes for the echo to return and knowing the speed of sound, the distance to the wall can be calculated using the formula: distance = (speed of sound) x (time/2).
This is because the sound has to travel to the wall and then back again, hence the time measured is for the round trip. If the speed of sound is approximately 340 m/s in air, and it took 2 seconds for the echo to return after the sound was produced, the distance to the wall would be 340 m/s x (2 s / 2), resulting in a distance of 340 meters.