Questions Related to physics

Multiple choice physics study of sound conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

A rail engine approaches a hill at a speed of $54\ kmph$ whistling a sound of frequency $160\ Hz$. The frequency of echo heard by the engine driver is (velocity of sound in air $335\ ms^{-1})$.

  1. $167.5\ Hz$
  2. $152.5\ Hz$
  3. $175\ Hz$
  4. $145\ Hz$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The engine is moving toward the hill at 15 m/s (54 km/h). The frequency of the echo is f' = f * (v + vs) / (v - vs), where v is speed of sound and vs is speed of engine. f' = 160 * (335 + 15) / (335 - 15) = 160 * 350 / 320 = 175 Hz.

Multiple choice physics study of sound conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

A driver blows the horn when he is at a distance of $1020m$ from a stiff. He hears the echo after $11/2sec$. At what rate is he approaching the cliff. (velocity of sound in air $=340m/s$)

  1. $72m/s$
  2. $31m/s$
  3. $31mph$
  4. $60kmph$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Distance = 1020 m. Total sound distance = 2 × 1020 = 2040 m. If echo is heard after 1.5 s (assuming 11/2 means 1.5), time available for driver approach = (2040/340) - 1.5 = 6 - 1.5 = 4.5 s. Speed = 1020 / 4.5 = 31 m/s (approximately).

Multiple choice physics acoustics conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

State whether given statement is True or False
A man standing 25 m away from a wall produces a sound and receives the reflected sound.
The man will be able to hear a distinct echo.

  1. True

  2. False

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Like all waves, sound waves can be reflected. Sound waves suffer reflection from the large obstacles. As a result of reflection of sound wave from a large obstacle, the sound is heard which is named as an echo. Ordinarily echo is not heard as the reflected sound gets merged with the original sound. Certain conditions have to be satisfied to hear an echo distinctly (as a separate sound).
The sensation of any sound persists in our ear for about 0.1 seconds. This is known as the persistence of hearing. If the echo is heard within this time interval, the original sound and its echo cannot be distinguished. So the most important condition for hearing an echo is that the reflected sound should reach the ear only after a lapse of at least 0.1 second after the original sound dies off.
As the speed of sound is 340 m/s, the distance traveled by sound in 0.1 second is 34 m. This is twice the minimum distance between a source of sound and the reflector. So, if the obstacle is at a distance of 17 m at least, the reflected sound or the echo is heard after 0.1 second, distinctly. 
In the question, the wall is 25 m away from the man and hence, the man will be able to hear the echo distinctly.

Multiple choice physics study of sound conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

What should be the minimum distance (in m) between source and reflector in water so that echo is heard distinctly ? (The speed of sound in water $= 1400\; ms^{-1}$)

  1. 60

  2. 140

  3. 90

  4. 70

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The sensation of any sound persists in our ear for about 0.1 seconds. This is known as the persistence of hearing. If the echo is heard within this time interval, the original sound and its echo cannot be distinguished. So the most important condition for hearing an echo is that the reflected sound should reach the ear only after a lapse of at least 0.1 second after the original sound dies off. 
As the speed of sound in water is 1400 m/s in the question, the distance traveled by sound in 0.1 second is 35 m, which is calculated from the formula 
$Distance\; traveled=velocity\; of\; sound \times time\; taken$. That is, 140 m. This is twice the minimum distance between a source of sound and the reflector. So, if the obstacle is at a distance of 70 m at least, the reflected sound or the echo is heard after 0.1 second, distinctly.

Multiple choice physics study of sound conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

The speed of sound in air and sea-water are given to be $340\ m/s$ and $1440\ m/s$ respectively. A ship sends a strong signal straight down and detects its echo after $1.5$second. The depth of the sea at that point is 

  1. $2.16\ kms$
  2. $1.08\ kms$
  3. $0.51\ kms$
  4. $0.255\ kms$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

$\displaystyle V _{air}=340m/s, V _{water}=1440m/s$
Echo is the sound that we hear after reflection of sound wave from the reflecting surface.
i.e., total distance travel by sound wave $=2d$
velocity$\displaystyle=\frac{distance}{time}$
$\displaystyle 1440=\frac{2d}{1.5}\Rightarrow d=\frac{1440\times 1.5}{2}=1080.0m=1.08kms$
Hence, option $B$ is the correct answer.

Multiple choice physics study of sound conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

State whether the given statement is True or False :

A girl is sitting in the middle of a park of dimension $\displaystyle 12m\times 12m.$ On the left side of it there is a building adjoining the park and on right side of the park, there is a road adjoining the park. A sound is produced on the road by a cracker. The girl will be able to hear the echo of this sound.

  1. True

  2. False

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Like all waves, sound waves can be reflected. Sound waves suffer reflection from the large obstacles. As a result of reflection of sound wave from a large obstacle, the sound is heard which is named as an echo. Ordinarily echo is not heard as the reflected sound gets merged with the original sound. Certain conditions have to be satisfied to hear an echo distinctly (as a separate sound).
The sensation of any sound persists in our ear for about 0.1 seconds. This is known as the persistence of hearing. If the echo is heard within this time interval, the original sound and its echo cannot be distinguished. So the most important condition for hearing an echo is that the reflected sound should reach the ear only after a lapse of at least 0.1 second after the original sound dies off. As the speed of sound is 340 m/s, the distance traveled by sound in 0.1 second is 34 m. This is twice the minimum distance between a source of sound and the reflector. So, if the obstacle is at a distance of 17 m at least, the reflected sound or the echo is heard after 0.1 second, distinctly. 
In this case, the girl is seated in the middle of the park. So, the sound travels through a distance of 6 m up to the girl and then another 6 m up to the building. The total distance is just 12 m which is less than the minimum distance required for the sound to echo. Hence, the echo cannot be heard in this case. 

Multiple choice physics study of sound conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

What should be the minimum distance between the source of sound and the obstacle to hear an echo?

  1. 17 m

  2. 34 m

  3. 8.5 m

  4. 51 m

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sensation of any sound persists in our ear for about 0.1 seconds.  If the echo is heard within this time interval, the original sound and its echo cannot be distinguished. So the most important condition for hearing an echo is that the reflected sound should reach the ear only after a lapse of at least 0.1 second after the original sound dies off. As the speed of sound is 340 m/s, the distance travelled by sound in 0.1 second is 34 m. This is twice the minimum distance between a source of sound and the reflector. So, if the obstacle is at a distance of 17 m at least, the reflected sound or the echo is heard after 0.1 second, distinctly.

Multiple choice physics study of sound conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

A man beats drum at a certain distance from the mountain. He slowly increases the rate of beating and finds that the echo is not heard distinctly, when the drum beating is at the rate of $40$ per minute. He moves by $80 m$ towards the mountain and finds that the echo is again not heard distinctly when the rate of beating of the drum is $1$ per second. What is the original distance of the man from the mountain?

  1. $120 m$
  2. $240 m$
  3. $270 m$
  4. $340 m$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Echo is not heard distinctly, when next beat overlaps with echo simultaneously.
Time per beat $=$ time taken by reflected beat to reach listener.
d being the distance and drum beating at rate of $40$ per minute.
$\dfrac{2d}{v}=\dfrac{60}{40}=\dfrac{3}{2}$
and $\dfrac{2d-80}{v}=1$
Solving we get $d=240m$

Multiple choice physics study of sound conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

An echo will be heard if the minimum distance between the source of sound and the obstacle is

  1. 1 m

  2. 10 m

  3. 15 m

  4. 17 m

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

An echo is heard when a sound takes minimum of $0.1 \ s$ to reach the observer after getting reflected from the obstacle.
Let the distance between the distance between the source (or observer) and the obstacle be $x$.
Thus distance traveled by sound to hear echo is $2x$.
Speed of sound  $v = 340 \ m/s$
$\therefore$  $2x = vt$
Or  $2x = 340\times 0.1$
$\implies  \ x = 17 \ m$

Multiple choice physics acoustics conditions for hearing echo echo reflection of sound and echo ultrasound and its applications

The echo will be heard if the original sound reflected by an obstacle reaches our ears after

  1. 10 s

  2. 5 s

  3. 1 s

  4. 0.1 s

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

When sound waves travel in a medium, it gets reflected from the obstacle and we hear the same sound produced even after some time. This reflected sound is known as echo.
Human ear can hear an echo if the reflected sound reaches the ear after at least $0.1 \ s$. If the reflected sound reaches the human ear in less than $0.1\ s$, then we cannot hear the echo.