nstructions: For this lab, use the lab report to record your information. You will submit your
completed lab report.
Note: If you cannot complete this lab as directed, please contact your instructor for
assistance.
Introduction
Sound is a wave, similar to the ripples on a pond or the ocean waves you might see crashing on a
beach. Instead of being a wave that is visible on the ocean's surface, sound is a wave that travels
through a medium, such as air or water. How fast sound travels through a medium is called the
speed of sound, and it determines the delay between when a sound is made and when it is heard.
Sound travels five times faster in seawater than in air. However, the speed of sound in seawater is
not a constant value. It varies slightly from place to place, from season to season, from morning to
evening, and with water depth. In the simplest situations, sound will also travel in a straight line. In
the ocean, however, interactions between the sound and water make the transmission of sound
much more complicated. These effects include reflection, bending (refraction), and diffraction