Echo Sounding: Using Ultrasound to Locate Objects Beneath Water

The video tutorial explains how ships use ultrasound technology, known as sonar or echo sounding, to locate objects beneath the water's surface. It describes the process of emitting an ultrasound pulse from a ship, which travels to the sea floor, reflects back, and is detected by the ship's receiver. The time taken for the echo to return is used to calculate the distance to the sea floor using the formula: distance = speed x time. An example calculation is provided, demonstrating how to determine the ocean's depth. The video also highlights that the ultrasound pulse travels twice the distance between the ship and the sea floor, requiring division by two to find the actual depth. Additionally, sonar can detect fish shoals, shipwrecks, and other underwater objects.

Why is it important to divide the distance traveled by the ultrasound pulse by two?

What other applications can the process of echo sounding be used for besides measuring depth?