Calculating Depth & Distance Flashcards

All 3 cards in this deck

What equation gives the depth of water from the time taken for an echo to return?

depth $=$ (wave speed $\times$ time) $\div 2$

What are the steps to calculate depth from an echo time?

e.g. sound at 1500 m/s, echo returns after 2 s

1. Total distance travelled $= v \times t = 1500 \times 2 = 3000$ m.
2. Halve it, because the wave travels down and back: $3000 \div 2$.
3. Depth $= 1500$ m

True or false? The time measured for an echo is the time for the wave to travel to the reflecting surface.

False. It is the time for the wave to travel there and back, so the distance found must be halved.