Your sonic range finder measures the distance to a nearby building at 20m. The range finder is calibrated for sound traveling 343 m/s, but on this very cold day the speed of sound is only 309 m/s. How far away is the building?
To solve this problem, we need to use the formula for calculating distance:
Distance = Speed × Time
In this case, the speed of sound is given as 343 m/s, but we know that on this cold day, the speed of sound is actually 309 m/s. We are given the time it takes for the sound to travel between the range finder and the building, which is 20m.
To find the distance to the building, we can rearrange the formula:
Distance = Speed × Time
Distance = (Speed of sound on the cold day) × Time
Plugging in the values we have:
Distance = 309 m/s × (20m / (Speed of sound on the cold day))
Distance = 309 m/s × (20m / 309 m/s)
The m/s units cancel out, leaving us with:
Distance = 20m
Therefore, the building is 20 meters away.