Question

Hey :)
So I volunteer at a science summer camp, and I have this question as a warm up that I really want my students to learn. I know the answer, I just need good easy ways for my students to understand it. So any ideas ? (picture is down below)

Answer 1

Plz make clearer ur picture. Wt happening there?

Answer 2

Looks like sonar.

Sound waves are directed downwards from the ship. They echo off the ocean floor, and anything sitting on the ocean floor, and bounce back up towards the ship.

Since we know the speed of sound in water, we can use the time that elapses between the generation of the sound waves and when their echo is detected to make an image of the ocean floor. (distance = speed of sound * time elapsed/2. We divide by 2 because the sound waves must travel there AND back to be detected.)

Answer 3

this picture is all over the net

google it in images and you might find a lot of good stuff

Answer 4

Maybe to make things clearer (assuming that the target audience are kids), you could show them the path of a ball thrown at an oblique angle. Make 1 student the sonar signal projector, and another the receiver. Tell them that the sonar signal (being a mechanical sound wave) follows the same trajectory of the ball, and explain them how it works as Vandreigan explained.

Answer 5

and very well done for volunteering btw :p