You can buy a measuring device billed as a "sonic tape measure." Describe how a device equipped with an (ultrasonic) speaker, a microphone, and a precision timer could be used to measure the distance from the device to a wall (for example).

Question: Explain how a sonic tape measure can be used to measure the distance from the device to a wall using an ultrasonic speaker, a microphone, and a precision timer. Answer: A sonic tape measure measures distance by emitting a high-frequency sound wave from its ultrasonic speaker, which travels towards a wall and bounces back as an echo. The device's microphone detects the echo, and its precision timer measures the time taken for the round trip. The distance to the wall is calculated using the formula: Distance = (Speed of sound * Time taken) / 2, accounting for the fact that the sound wave travels the distance twice (to the wall and back). The speed of sound in air (approx. 343 meters per second) is constant, allowing for accurate distance calculations.