Mechanics Mechanical Vibration Acoustics

1.5.21-15 Determination of the velocity of sound (sonar principle)

What you can learn about

 Longitudinal waves
 Sound pressure
 Phase- and group velocity
 Sonar principle

Principle:
An ultrasonic transmitter emits
sound pulses onto a reflector, from
which recording of them by a receiv-
er shows a time delay. The velocity of
sound is calculated from the path
length and transmission time of the
sound pulses.

What you need:

Ultrasonic unit 13900.00 1
Power supply f. ultrasonic unit, 5 VDC, 12 W 13900.99 1
Ultrasonic transmitter on stem 13901.00 1
Ultrasonic receiver on stem 13902.00 1
Cobra 3 Basic Unit 12150.00 1
Power supply, 12 V- 12151.99 1
RS 232 data cable 14602.00 1
Barrel base PASS 02006.55 3
Stand tube 02060.00 3
Screen metal, 3030 cm 08062.00 1
Measuring tape, l = 2 m 09936.00 1
Meter scale, l = 1000 mm 03001.00 1
Screened cable, BNC, l = 75 cm 07542.11 2 Measured time between the transmitted and the received reflected ultrasonic
Adapter, BNC-socket/4 mm plug pair 07542.27 2 waves.
Measure Software Universal writer 14504.61 1
PC, Windows 95 or higher
Tasks:
Complete Equipment Set, Manual on CD-ROM included 1. Determine transmission times for
Determination of the velocity of sound different distances apart of the
(sonar principle) P2152115 transmitter and the receiver.
2. Plot a graph of the path lengths of
the sound pulses against their
transmission time.
3. Determine the velocity of sound
from the graph.

78 Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG D - 37070 Gttingen
 LEP
Determination of the velocity of sound (sonar principle) 1.5.21
-15

Related topics Tasks

Longitudinal waves, sound pressure, phase- and group veloc- 1. Determine transmission times for different distances apart
ity, sonar principle. of the transmitter and the receiver.
2. Plot a graph of the path lengths of the sound pulses
Principle against their transmission time.
3. Determine the velocity of sound from the graph.
An ultrasonic transmitter emits sound pulses onto a reflector,
from which recording of them by a receiver shows a time
delay. The velocity of sound is calculated from the path length Set-up and Procedure
and transmission time of the sound pulses. Set up the experiment as shown in Fig.1, using stand tubes in
the barrel bases to position the reflector, transmitter and
Equipment receiver well above the table top, in order to stop the occur-
Ultrasonic unit 13900.00 1 rence of interfering reflections.
Power supply f. ultrasonic unit, 5 VDC, 12 W 13900.99 1 Connect the transmitter to the TR1 socket of the ultrasonic
Ultrasonic transmitter on stem 13901.00 1 unit, and operate it in burst mode. Connect the receiver to
Ultrasonic receiver on stem 13902.00 1 the left BNC socket (prior to the amplifier).
Cobra 3 Basic Unit 12150.00 1 Ensure that the amplifier of the ultrasonic unit is not operated
Power supply, 12 V 12151.99 1 in the saturation area. Should, in such a case, the OVL diode
RS 232 data cable 14602.00 1 light up, reduce the input amplification. Apply the synchroni-
Barrel base PASS 02006.55 3 sation signal (sync BNC socket) on the Cobra Basic Unit
Stand tube 02060.00 3 Analog In 1/S1 input. Apply the amplified alternating voltage
Screen metal, 30x30 cm 08062.00 1 signal of the receiver on the Analog In 2/S2 input. Pay atten-
Measuring tape, l = 2 m 09936.00 1 tion to correct polarity when using the corresponding BNC
Meter scale, l = 1000 mm 03001.00 1 adapter (adapter earth sign). Connect the Cobra 3 Basic Unit
Screened cable, BNC, l = 75 cm 07542.11 2 to the PC with the RS 232 data cable.
Adapter, BNC-socket/4 mm plug pair 07542.27 2
Measure Software Universal writer 14504.61 1
PC, Windows 95 or higher

Fig. 1: Experimental set-up.

PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen 21521-15 1
 LEP
1.5.21 Determination of the velocity of sound (sonar principle)
-15

For distances of x 30 cm, the distance d of the transmitter

from the receiver is to be taken into consideration in deter-
mining the transmission time. When the barrel bases in which
the transmitter and the receiver are fixed touch each other,
then d = 6.5 cm. Measurements are to be carried out in the
Fast measurement software mode, and the appropriate set-
tings for this are shown in Fig. 3. An example of a measure-
ment is shown in Fig. 4. The time t taken by the sound pulse
is given by using the returning echo pulse.
In Fig. 5, the path length l is plotted as a function of the time
taken t. The velocity of sound is obtained from the slope of the
straight line. Under the given conditions (T = 20C, relative
humidity 50% and f = 40 kHz), the experiment gave: c =
(342.9 1.5) ms-1.
(corresponding literature value, taken from the Handbook of
Chemistry and Physics; CRC Press: c = (344.0 ms-1).

Fig. 2: Diagram for the determination of the path length of

ultrasound pulses
(T = Transmitter; R = Receiver; Sc = Screen)

Transmitter and receiver are to be at the same height, pointing

perpendicularly towards the reflector screen and both at the
same distance from it. Keep the transmitter and receiver fixed
at their initial positions during the experiment. Change the
path length l of the sound pulses by shifting the reflector and,
whenever doing so, ensure that it is always kept perpendicu-
lar to the connecting line between transmitter and the receiv-
er.

Theory and Evaluation

The sound pulses emitted by the transmitter have travelled
Fig. 4: Example of a measurement to determine the time t
over a path of length l after reflection and up to being record-
taken by the echo pulse.
ed (see Fig. 2). If the time taken is t, then the velocity of sound
c is given by:
l 2x
c

(1)
t t

Fig. 3: Settings of the software parameters. Fig. 5: Path length l of the echo pulse as a function of the time
taken t.

2 21521-15 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen