Question
The table below shows the speed of sound in water at different temperatures and salinities.
Speed of Sound in Water at Different Temperatures and Salinities
Temperature (°C) 0 10 20 30
Speed of sound in freshwater (ms
) 1,403 1,447 1,481 1,507
Speed of sound in seawater (ms
) 1,449 1,490 1,522 1,546
Which statement can be inferred about the speed of sound in freshwater and in seawater?
Which of the following is the best option?
a) Both temperature and salinity decrease the speed of sound in water.
b) The speed of sound increases as the salinity of water decreases.
c) At 80°C, the speed of sound in freshwater and seawater will be the same.
d) The speed of sound increases as the density of water increases.
The best option would be:
b) The speed of sound increases as the salinity of water decreases.
This can be inferred from the table, as we can see that at each temperature, the speed of sound in seawater (which has a higher salinity than freshwater) is higher than the speed of sound in freshwater.
The best option is a) Both temperature and salinity decrease the speed of sound in water.
Explanation:
From the table, we can observe that as the temperature increases from 0°C to 30°C, the speed of sound in both freshwater and seawater also increases. This implies that temperature has a positive effect on the speed of sound in water.
However, when comparing the speed of sound in freshwater to seawater at the same temperature, we can see that the speed of sound in seawater is always higher than in freshwater. This suggests that salinity has a negative effect on the speed of sound in water.
Therefore, we can infer that both temperature and salinity decrease the speed of sound in water.
Option b) The speed of sound increases as the salinity of water decreases is incorrect because the table shows that the speed of sound in seawater is higher than in freshwater.
Option c) At 80°C, the speed of sound in freshwater and seawater will be the same is incorrect because the table does not provide any information about the speed of sound at 80°C.
Option d) The speed of sound increases as the density of water increases is also incorrect because the table shows that the speed of sound in seawater is higher than in freshwater, even though seawater is denser than freshwater.
To answer this question, we need to analyze the given data and make some observations.
We have two variables: temperature and salinity. We are given the speed of sound in both freshwater and seawater at different temperatures.
Let's analyze the data for freshwater:
Temperature (°C) Speed of sound in freshwater (m/s)
0 1,403
10 1,447
20 1,481
30 1,507
By observing the data, we can see that as the temperature increases, the speed of sound in freshwater also increases. This means that temperature and speed of sound are directly proportional in freshwater.
Now, let's analyze the data for seawater:
Temperature (°C) Speed of sound in seawater (m/s)
0 1,449
10 1,490
20 1,522
30 1,546
Similar to freshwater, the speed of sound in seawater also increases as the temperature increases. This indicates that temperature and speed of sound are directly proportional in seawater as well.
Based on these observations, we can conclude that option d) "The speed of sound increases as the density of water increases" is incorrect because the speed of sound is not directly related to density.
We can also conclude that options a) "Both temperature and salinity decrease the speed of sound in water" and b) "The speed of sound increases as the salinity of water decreases" are incorrect because we don't have any information about the effect of salinity on the speed of sound in water from the given data.
Therefore, the correct answer is c) "At 80°C, the speed of sound in freshwater and seawater will be the same" cannot be inferred from the given data since there is no information about the speed of sound at 80°C.
In conclusion, none of the given options can be correctly inferred from the given data.