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A sound wave in air travels a distance of 220 m in a time of 0.70 s - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 2 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 2
A sound wave in air travels a distance of 220 m in a time of 0.70 s. (i) State the equation linking speed, distance and time. (ii) Calculate the speed of the sound... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A sound wave in air travels a distance of 220 m in a time of 0.70 s - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 2 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
Calculate the speed of the sound wave in air.
Answer
To calculate the speed of the sound wave, we will substitute the given values into the equation:
- Using the formula: ext{speed} = rac{ ext{distance}}{ ext{time}}
- Substitute the values: ext{speed} = rac{220 ext{ m}}{0.70 ext{ s}}
- Calculate the speed:
- Therefore, rounding off to three significant figures, the speed is approximately: 310 m/s.
Step 3
Explain how to improve the student's method for measuring the wavelength.
Answer
To improve the method for measuring the wavelength, the student could:
- Use a longer ruler: A longer ruler would allow for more accurate measurements over greater distances between crests.
- Measure multiple wavelengths: Instead of measuring just one wavelength, measuring several crests would allow for averaging, thereby reducing the impact of any measurement error.
- Start from a marked position: Ensuring that the ruler's starting point is at a crest can help avoid parallax errors.
- Ensure straight alignment: Aligning the ruler as straight as possible with the direction of wave propagation ensures better accuracy in distance measurement.