If bats emit a chirp at a frequency of 9.68 104 Hz, and if the speed of sound in air is 343 m/s, what is the smallest insect a bat can detect?

Question

A bat can detect small objects, such as an insect, whose size is approximately equal to one wavelength of the sound the bat makes. If bats emit a chirp at a frequency of 9.68  10⁴ Hz, and if the speed of sound in air is 343 m/s, what is the smallest insect a bat can detect?

Answer 1

A bat can detect small objects, such as an insect, whose size is approximately equal to one wavelength of the sound the bat makes. If bats emit a chirp at a frequency of 9.68  10⁴ Hz, and if the speed of sound in air is 343 m/s, what is the smallest insect a bat can detect?

Given frequency = 9.68* 10⁴ Hz

Speed = 343m/s

 Using

Speed of wave = Frequency * Wave length

343 = 9.68* 10 ⁴ Wave length

Wave Length = 343/9.68* 10 ⁴ = 35.43 * 10 -4 = 3.543 * 10 ^{- 3} m

size of insect = 3.5 mm