The sound of a cannon shot reached the observer 30 seconds after the flash was noticed.
The sound of a cannon shot reached the observer 30 seconds after the flash was noticed. The distance between the gun and the observer is 10 km. Determine the speed of propagation of sound in air.
Given:
t = 30 seconds – the time interval during which the sound of a cannon shot reached the observer after the flash was noticed;
L = 10 kilometers is the distance between the gun and the observer.
It is required to determine v (meter per second) – the speed of sound propagation in air.
For the convenience of solving the problem, we assume that the flash light propagates instantly.
Let’s convert the units of measure distance from kilometers to meters:
L = 10 kilometers = 10 * 1000 = 10000 meters.
Then, to determine the speed of sound, you must use the following formula:
v = L / t = 10000/30 = 1000/3 = 333 m / s (the result has been rounded to the nearest whole).
Answer: the speed of sound propagation in air is 333 m / s.