Coast Guard Exams
Question 1013Navigation General70% to pass

While navigating in fog off a coastline of steep cliffs, you hear the echo of the ships fog horn 3 1/2 seconds after the signal was sounded. What is the distance to the shore?

AI Explanation
The correct answer is B) 640 yards. To calculate the distance to the shore, we can use the formula: Distance = (Speed of Sound x Time Delay) / 2. The speed of sound in air is approximately 1,100 feet per second. Since the time delay is 3.5 seconds, the distance can be calculated as: (1,100 ft/s x 3.5 s) / 2 = 1,925 feet, or 640 yards. The other options are incorrect because they do not accurately reflect the distance based on the given time delay and the speed of sound. Option A (315 yards) and Option C (143 yards) are too short, while Option D (480 yards) is too long.

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