- The following apparatus was set up to measure the speed of sound:
(a) Describe how you would use this apparatus to measure the speed of sound.
(b) If the distance between the hammer and microphone was increased, would this give you a more accurate or less accurate result? Explain your answer.
2. Physics teacher, Paul, is waiting at the green of the 18th hole at Palacerigg golf course. He sees his friend, Danny, about to tee off. The tee is 436 metres away from Paul, who quickly decides that this would be a perfect opportunity to measure the speed of sound. Luckily his mobile phone is equipped with a stopwatch.
3. (a) During a thunder storm, what signal is made first – the sound, the light or are they both made at the same time?
(b) So why do we see the light before we hear the thunder?
4. (a) State an approximate value for the speed of sound in air.
(b) What is the speed of light in air?
5. The diagram below represents the particle arrangement for an ice cube (solid) changing to water (liquid) then steam (gas).
By thinking about the arrangement of the particles, do you think sound will travel fastest in a solid, or liquid or gas?
Explain your answer.
