A student uses two microphones connected to a computer to measure the speed of sound in air. The microphones are placed in a straight line in front of a loudspeaker.
Describe a method the student could use to determine the speed of sound in air with this apparatus.
The microphones are 1.50 m apart. The time measured by the computer is 4.40 ms. Calculate the speed of sound in air. Give your answer to 3 significant figures.
Give one reason why the student repeats the measurement several times and calculates a mean.
40 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Physics 6.1 Waves in air, fluids and solids, covering 6.1.1 Transverse and longitudinal waves, 6.1.2 Properties of waves, 6.1.3 Reflection of waves, 6.1.4 Sound waves (HT only), and 6.1.5 Waves for detection and exploration (HT only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.