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Water is denser than air so it is a better conductor of sound. It is so good at allowing sound to travel further that scientists believe whales can communicate to each other across vast distances, even perhaps halfway around the world.
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It still fades with distance, very strongly by inverse-square law; and further still as the frequency rises. Whether a whale can be heard by another some 12000 miles away ("halfway round...") is a moot point, although they are helped by calling at low frequencies and by the physical characteristics of the ocean itself.
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∙ 6y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe question should not be how far does sound travel underwater, but how fast. The speed of sound in water is about 1,484 m/s. This is 4 times faster than in air where sound travels at 343 m/s.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoThere's no limit to its possible distance, as long as it doesn't
run into anything that absorbs it.
Sound travels underwater 1,500 Meters per second.
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There IS a limit, by both spreading loss and by being absorbed by the water itself, until it becomes so faint it is effectively non-existent.
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The spreading loss is much the greater, is independent of frequency, and is by the square of the distance. So at 100 metres from source it is at only a quarter of the amplitude it was 50m away. In decibel terms as these things are measured in, the loss = 20.log(distance in metres), the logarithm being to base-10. (Answers has a big maths section but is let down by a text editor that won't give you subscripts, indices and symbols!)
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On top of that is the small absorption loss, rising with frequency and I believe also dependent on water conditions.
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So the distance sound can travel in water is dependent on frequency and more obviously, its source power and intensity.
Wiki User
∙ 16y agoWater is denser than air so it is a better conductor of sound. It is so good at allowing sound to travel further that scientists believe whales can communicate to each other across vast distances, even perhaps halfway around the world.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoYes, "Actually, sound travels about 4.3 times faster in water than in air."!
To read more, visit the Related Link.
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∙ 15y agoSound is basically a vibration sound travels through air by causing it to vibrate and it does the same with water or any other material
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Wiki User
∙ 15y agoSound always travels well underwater.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoYes sound travels through water.
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When you travel at subsonic speed are you underwater?
Speed has nothing to do with where you are. You can travel below the speed of sound pretty much anywhere.
Why do things sound different under water?
because sound waves travel at different distances and speeds underwater plus the water is in your ear.
Is there sound underwater?
Yes.
Can you make sounds without air?
Yes you can make sound without air, because sound can travel through all the forms of matter, gases, liquid, solid, and plasma. If you submerged yourself underwater, you'd still be able to hear sound.
What is a example of a wave encountering a new medium?
Dive underwater in a pool while a radio is playing near the pool. While you are underwater, the sound of the radio will be different because the sound waves which are traveling in air at first, encounter water, and must travel through water to reach your ears. So it goes from the medium of air to the medium of water.
Can sound travel underwater?
yes
Does the depth density of water affect sound underwater?
It makes the sound travel further
Does sound travel faster under water or in air?
underwater x
Does sound travel faster underwater or in air?
under water because of the water
When you travel at subsonic speed are you underwater?
Speed has nothing to do with where you are. You can travel below the speed of sound pretty much anywhere.
Why do things sound different under water?
because sound waves travel at different distances and speeds underwater plus the water is in your ear.
What experiment can prove that sound waves can travel underwater?
get something metallic hit it on the table and then put it in a bole.
Can nukes travel underwater?
Yes. There nuclear torpedoes that can travel underwater and destroy ships.
Does sound travel under water faster than in air?
Sound should travel with less energy loss underwater as water has a more tightly packed particles than air and so can travel between the particles with less energy loss than in air but its speed is the same.
Is there sound underwater?
Yes.
How far will a sonar pulse travel in 45 seconds?
It will depend on the speed of sound in the medium. Sonar is often used for underwater location and the speed of sound through water is quite different from the speed of sound through air.
Does sound travel under water in the deep ocean?
MAGIC!!!!! no really, sound travels underwater even fast than out of water. sound is just a vibration that your eardrums hear and send the message to your brain, and your brain converts it into a message that we know as sounds!
