Question

Many surface military ships use sonar as one method for detecting submarines. How would the temperature, density, and salinity of water affect the usefulness of sonar, and why?

Answer 1

Sonar uses sound waves in order to detect and locate objects in the water. The speed and detectable range of sound waves are impacted by the medium they are travelling through. Ocean water, the medium that sonar travels through, includes characteristics such as temperature, density, and salinity. These elements affect the nature of the medium, and thus affect the sound waves used for sonar detection.