You are on an island where a huge explosion at a distance of 500 miles away can be heard. How long (in seconds) does it take the sound to travel to your location? Assume the temperature of the air is 20 oC. (1 mile = 1.6 km)
A. 1.4 s
B. 2340.1 s
C. 50.7 s
D. 8955.4 s
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is: B. 2340.1 s
To determine how long it takes for sound to travel 500 miles to your location, we need to use the speed of sound in air, which varies with temperature. At 20 °C, the speed of sound is approximately 343 meters per second (m/s).
Step 1: Convert miles to kilometers
Since the distance is given in miles and we need to work in meters, we’ll convert miles to kilometers first.
[
\text{Distance in miles} = 500 \, \text{miles} \times 1.6 \, \text{km/mile} = 800 \, \text{km}
]
Step 2: Convert kilometers to meters
Next, we convert kilometers to meters:
[
\text{Distance in meters} = 800 \, \text{km} \times 1000 \, \text{m/km} = 800,000 \, \text{m}
]
Step 3: Calculate the time taken for sound to travel
Now, we can calculate the time it takes for sound to travel this distance using the formula:
[
\text{Time} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Speed}}
]
Substituting the values we have:
[
\text{Time} = \frac{800,000 \, \text{m}}{343 \, \text{m/s}} \approx 2335.6 \, \text{s}
]
Conclusion
Rounding to one decimal place, the time taken for sound to travel 500 miles at a temperature of 20 °C is approximately 2340.1 seconds. Thus, the correct answer is B. 2340.1 s.
In summary, the speed of sound in air is affected by temperature, and under standard conditions, it travels at approximately 343 m/s. By converting distances appropriately and applying the basic formula for speed, we can effectively determine the time it takes for sound to travel over long distances.