Waves, Sound and Light: Sound and Music

Sound and Music: Audio Guided Solutions

Problem 5:

On a recent PE-sponsored adventure education program, students went hiking at Devil's Head State Park. At one point, Jeremy let out a holler which reflected off a nearby rocky cliff and was detected as an echo 1.80 seconds later. Determine the distance to the rocky cliffs. Assume a speed of sound of 344 m/s.

Audio Guided Solution

Habits of an Effective Problem Solver

  • Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
  • Identify the known and unknown quantities and record in an organized manner, often times they can be recorded on the diagram itself. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity (e.g., v = 345 m/s, λ = 1.28 m, f = ???).
  • Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
  • Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
  • Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.

Read About It!

Get more information on the topic of Sound and Music at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.

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