An acoustic surveyor is calibrating equipment on a wide, flat salt flat. They stand at a marked distance of 1.5 km from a controlled pyrotechnic charge.
When the charge is detonated, a bright flash is observed and a loud boom is heard.
Describe how the surveyor can measure the time taken for the sound wave to travel the 1.5 km distance.
64 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 4.1 Wave properties, covering 4.1.1 Waves transfer energy and information, 4.1.2 Frequency, wavelength, amplitude, period and wavefronts, 4.1.3 Longitudinal and transverse waves, 4.1.4 The wave speed equations, 4.1.5 Measuring wave velocity, and 4.1.6 Calculating depth or distance from waves. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.