Asked by Blaine
In old western movies, cowboys often put their ear to a train track to listen for an oncoming train. What benefit would this method provide over listening for a train by listening for sound through the air?
Responses
A The sound would be louder.The sound would be louder.
B The sound would be undistorted.The sound would be undistorted.
C The sound would reach him sooner.The sound would reach him sooner.
D The sound would be higher in frequency.
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
C — The sound would reach him sooner.
Longitudinal vibrations travel much faster and with less attenuation in steel than in air (speed in steel ~5–6 km/s vs ~0.34 km/s in air), so rail-borne vibrations from a distant train arrive earlier (and often more clearly) than the same sound through the air.
Longitudinal vibrations travel much faster and with less attenuation in steel than in air (speed in steel ~5–6 km/s vs ~0.34 km/s in air), so rail-borne vibrations from a distant train arrive earlier (and often more clearly) than the same sound through the air.
Submit Your Answer
We prioritize human answers over AI answers.
If you are human, and you can answer this question, please submit your answer.