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Calculate if a sonar signal takes 5 seconds to return to a ship, what is the depth of the ocean at that point?

User Ye Jiawei
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1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:

The depth of the ocean at that point is approximately 3,750 meters.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the depth of the ocean at a particular point using sonar, we need to know the time it takes for the sound wave to travel from the ship to the bottom of the ocean and back to the ship, as well as the speed of sound in water.

The speed of sound in water is approximately 1,500 meters per second (m/s).

If the sonar signal took 5 seconds to return to the ship, then the total time for the sound wave to travel from the ship to the bottom of the ocean and back to the ship is twice that, or 10 seconds.

We can use the formula:

Depth = (Speed of sound in water x Time) / 2

Plugging in the values we know, we get:

Depth = (1,500 m/s x 5 s) / 2

Depth = 7,500 meters / 2

Depth = 3,750 meters

User Nallath
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