Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A girl drops a stone into a dry well and hears it hit the bottom later. The speed of sound is .
The time until the splash is heard is the fall time plus the time for the sound to come back up:
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The equation. , so .
Step 2. Fall time. , so .
Step 3. Depth. .
Step 4. Ignoring the sound. .
Answer: (a) . (b) , about too deep.
Check. The sound takes , and .
Watch out. For a deep well the sound's time matters more; ignoring it always overestimates the depth.
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