Question

if it takes a sonar echo 8 seconds to reach the bottom of the ocean and return and we know that the speed of sound is 1500 meters per second, how far away is the bottom of the ocean?
1200 meters
8000 meters
6000 meters
4000 meters

Explanation:

Step1: Determine time for one - way trip

The sonar echo takes 8 seconds to go to the ocean bottom and return. So the time taken for the sound to travel from the source to the ocean bottom (one - way) is half of the total time. Let \(t_{total}=8\) seconds. Then \(t_{one - way}=\frac{t_{total}}{2}=\frac{8}{2} = 4\) seconds.

Step2: Use the formula \(d = v\times t\)

We know that the speed of sound \(v = 1500\) meters per second and the one - way time \(t = 4\) seconds. Using the formula for distance \(d=v\times t\), we substitute the values: \(d = 1500\times4=6000\) meters.

Answer:

6000 meters (corresponding to the option "6000 meters")