Dolphins make soundsin air and water. What is the ratio of the wavelength of their sound in air to its wavelength in water? The speed sound in air is 343 m/s and in water is 1540 m/s.

1 Answer
Mar 14, 2018

When a wave changes medium,its frequency doesn't change as frequency depends on source not on the properties of the media,

Now,we know the relationship between wavelength lambda , velocity v and frequency nu of a wave as,

v=nulambda

Or, nu= v/lambda

Or,v/lambda = constant

So,let velocity of sound in air is v_1 with wavelength lambda_1 and that of v_2 and lambda_2 in water,

So,we can write,

lambda_1/lambda_2 =v_1/v_2=343/1540=0.23