A hammer strikes one end of a thick iron rail of length 5.60 m. A microphone located at the opposite end of the rail detects two pulses of sound, one that travels through the air and a longitudinal wave that travels through the rail. (The speeds of sound in air and in iron are 343 m/s and 5950 m/s, respectively.) (a) Which pulse reaches the microphone first? the pulse traveling through the air the pulse traveling through the iron rail (b) Find the separation in time between the arrivals of the two pulses.

The pulse that reaches the microphone first is the pulse in the rail.

The pulse that reaches the microphone first is the pulse in the rail. This is because the speed in the iron is faster, therefore, the pulse in the rail gets to the microphone first.

Apply d = vt for each pulse

Therefore, (5.6) = (343)(t)

t = 5.6/343

where, t = 0.0163 sec in air

Also, (5.6) = (5950)(t)

t = 9.41 × 10⁻⁴ sec in the iron rail

The time separation is 0.0163 - 9.41 × 10⁻⁴ = 0.0154 sec

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A) The wave that travels through the rail reaches the microphone first.

B) separation in time between the arrivals of the two pulses is 0.01539 seconds.

Explanation:

Detailed explanation and calculation is shown in the image below