Question

A bat can detect small objects such as an insect whose size is approximately equal to the wavelength of the sound the bat makes. What is the smallest insect a bat can detect? Assume that bats emit a chirp at a frequency of 33.3 kHz, and that the speed of sound in air is 536 m/s. Answer in units of mm.

Answer 1

Answer:

size of insect = wavelength = 16.1 mm

Explanation:

Since the bat can detect the size of small insects which are of size equal to the wavelength of sound in air

So here we can say that the wavelength of sound is the ratio of speed of sound and its frequency

here we know that

speed of sound in air is 536 m/s

frequency of sound is 33.3 kHz

so here we can say

$\lambda = \frac{v}{f}$

$\lambda = \frac{536}{33.3 \times 10^3}$

$\lambda = 0.0161 m$

$\lambda = 16.1 mm$