Final answer:
Sonar, an acronym for Sound Navigation And Ranging, is a technology that uses the principles of echolocation and ultrasonic frequencies to detect underwater objects and measure distances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sound Navigation Ranging is better known as sonar, which stands for Sound Navigation And Ranging. This technology is used extensively in various applications such as submarines for detecting objects underwater and measuring water depth, and by ships for determining the ocean floor's depth. By transmitting a sound wave and measuring the time it takes for the echo to return from the seabed, the distance to the bottom can be calculated because the speed of sound is known.
Principles of echolocation are applied in sonar. In the natural world, animals like bats, dolphins, and whales use echolocation to navigate and hunt by emitting sound waves and listening for the echoes that bounce back from objects. Sonar operates similarly, often utilizing ultrasonic frequencies in the range of 30.0 to 100 kHz for sound reflections. Echoes provide important distance and size information, and when a Doppler shift occurs, even velocity information can be gleaned.