Underwater acoustics

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/underwater-acoustics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific discipline?Underwater acoustics (hydroacoustics)
2. What is the propagation medium?Water (oceans, lakes, rivers, tanks)
3. How fast does sound travel in water compared to air?Sound travels about 4.3 times faster in water than in air, so it can travel very far before it gets weaker.
4. What is sonar and how does it work?Sonar is a technology that uses sound to find things underwater. Active sonar sends out a sound pulse and listens for the echo to see where objects are, while passive sonar just listens to the sounds that already exist.

Hydroacoustics: The branch of acoustics concerned with sound propagation in water and its interaction with aquatic environments.
Sonar: A technique using sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect objects on or under the surface of the water.
Bathymetry: The measurement of the depth of water in oceans, seas, or lakes.
Acoustical Oceanography: The study of sound in the ocean, including its generation, propagation, and effects.