A sound wave traveling downward with a speed of about 4,000 m/s suddenly slows to 1,500 m/s not far below the Earth’s surface. W

Question

3 years ago

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A sound wave traveling downward with a speed of about 4,000 m/s suddenly slows to 1,500 m/s not far below the Earth’s surface. W

hat has the sound wave most likely encountered? a different kind of rock an underground lake an open cavity a pile of dinosaur bones

Physics

1 answer:

SCORPION-xisa [38] · Answer 1 · 2022-03-04T02:57:36+03:00

<h2>Answer: an underground lake</h2>

Explanation:

In general, sound (mechanical waves) travels faster in solids than in liquids, and faster in liquids than in gases. This is because <u>the speed of the mechanical waves is determined by a relationship between the elastic properties of the medium </u>in which they are propagated and the mass per unit volume of the medium (that is:<u>density</u>).

In other words: The speed of sound varies depending on the medium through which the sound waves travel.

So, if we are told the sound wave initially had a speed of 4,000 m/s and it suddenly decreases to 1,500 m/s, this means the sound waves passed from a solid medium to a liquid medium.

Hence, the correct option is: an underground lake.