One way to monitor global warming is to measure the average temperature of the ocean. Researchers are doing this by measuring the time it takes sound pulses to travel underwater over large distances. At a depth of 1000 m, where ocean temperatures hold steady near 4∘C, the average sound speed is 1480m/s. It's known from laboratory measurements that the sound speed increases 4.0m/s for every 1.0∘C increase in temperature. In one experiment, where sounds generated near California are detected in the South Pacific, the sound waves travel 7600 km. If the smallest time change that can be reliably detected is 1.0 s, what is the smallest change in average temperature that can be measured?

Question

Laylah Boone

Physics

15 October, 03:25

One way to monitor global warming is to measure the average temperature of the ocean. Researchers are doing this by measuring the time it takes sound pulses to travel underwater over large distances. At a depth of 1000 m, where ocean temperatures hold steady near 4∘C, the average sound speed is 1480m/s. It's known from laboratory measurements that the sound speed increases 4.0m/s for every 1.0∘C increase in temperature. In one experiment, where sounds generated near California are detected in the South Pacific, the sound waves travel 7600 km. If the smallest time change that can be reliably detected is 1.0 s, what is the smallest change in average temperature that can be measured?

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Answers (1)

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Rhett Gill · Answer 1

0.07°C

Explanation:

solution:

the speed of a sound in water is:

v (T) = 1480+4 (T-4°C)

at 4°C the travel time is:

t (4◦C) = (7600 * 103 m) / (1480 m/s) = 5202.7 s

5°C, the travel time is:

t (5◦C) = (7600 * 103 m) / (1484 m/s) = 5188.7 s

one degree C corresponds to a ∆t of 14 s so temperature difference is:

ΔT=1 s/14 s=0.07◦C