1 problem found
I stand at the top of a vertical well. The depth of the well, from the top to the surface of the water, is \(D\). I drop a stone from the top of the well and measure the time that elapses between the release of the stone and the moment when I hear the splash of the stone entering the water. In order to gauge the depth of the well, I climb a distance \(\delta\) down into the well and drop a stone from my new position. The time until I hear the splash is \(t\) less than the previous time. Show that \[ t = \sqrt{\frac{2D}g} - \sqrt{\frac{2(D-\delta)}g} + \frac \delta u\,, \] where \(u\) is the (constant) speed of sound. Hence show that \[ D = \tfrac12 gT^2\,, \] where \(T= \dfrac12 \beta + \dfrac \delta{\beta g}\) and \(\beta = t - \dfrac \delta u\,\). Taking \(u=300\,\)m\,s\(^{-1}\) and \(g=10\,\)m\,s\(^{-2}\), show that if \(t= \frac 15\,\)s and \(\delta=10\,\)m, the well is approximately \(185\,\)m deep.
Solution: \begin{align*} && s &= ut + \frac12at^2 \\ && D &= \frac12gt_D^2 \\ \Rightarrow && t_D &= \sqrt{\frac{2D}{g}} \\ \Rightarrow && t_{D-\delta} &= \sqrt{\frac{2(D-\delta}{g}} \end{align*} Therefore the difference in times of what I hear will be: \begin{align*} t &= \underbrace{\sqrt{\frac{2D}{g}}}_{\text{time for first stone to hit water}} + \underbrace{\frac{D}{u}}_{\text{time to hear about it}} - \left (\underbrace{\sqrt{\frac{2(D-\delta)}{g}}}_{\text{time for second stone to hit water}} + \underbrace{\frac{D-\delta}{u}}_{\text{time to hear about it}} \right) \\ &= \sqrt{\frac{2D}g} - \sqrt{\frac{2(D-\delta)}g} + \frac \delta u \end{align*} \begin{align*} && t &= \sqrt{\frac{2D}g} - \sqrt{\frac{2(D-\delta)}g} + \frac \delta u \\ \Rightarrow && \beta &= \sqrt{\frac{2D}g} - \sqrt{\frac{2(D-\delta)}g} \\ && \beta^2 &= \frac{2D}{g} + \frac{2(D-\delta)}{g} - \frac{4}{g}\sqrt{D(D-g)} \\ &&&= \frac{4D}{g} - \frac{2\delta}{g} - \frac{4}{g} \sqrt{D(D-\delta)}\\ \Rightarrow && g\beta^2 &= 4D-2\delta -4\sqrt{D(D-\delta)}\\ \Rightarrow && (g \beta^2-4D+2\delta)^2 &= 16D(D-\delta) \\ \Rightarrow && g^2\beta^4 + 16D^2 + 4\delta^2 -8g\beta^2D+4g\beta^2 \delta -16D\delta &= 16D^2-16D\delta \\ \Rightarrow && 8g\beta^2D &= g\beta^4 +4\delta^2 +4g\beta^2 \delta \\ \Rightarrow && D &= \frac1{8g\beta^2} \left ( g^2\beta^4 +4\delta^2 +4g\beta^2 \delta\right) \\ &&&= \frac1{8g\beta^2} \left ( g\beta^2 +2\delta \right)^2 \\ &&&= \frac12g \left ( \frac{\beta}{2} + \frac{\delta}{g\beta} \right)^2 \end{align*} If \(u = 300, g = 10, t = \frac15, \delta = 10\), then \begin{align*} && \beta &= \frac15-\frac{10}{300}\\ &&&= \frac15 - \frac1{30} \\ &&&= \frac{1}{6}\\ && D &= \frac12 \cdot 10 \left ( \frac1{12} + 6 \right)^2 \\ &&&= 5\cdot (36 + 1 + \frac{1}{12^2}) \\ &&&\approx 37 \cdot 5 = 185 \end{align*}