Book 6, Question 112
Why Do Scientists Use Sonar?
Sonar sends out a ping of sound, and then listens for the echo. The time the echo takes to come back tells how far away something is. Many pings can build a map of the seafloor, or find schools of fish!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 6
More fun facts
- Sonar uses sound waves to 'see' under water.
- A sonar sends out a pulse of sound. If something is in the way, the sound bounces back as an echo.
- Scientists use sonar to make sea charts, find hidden dangers to ships and search for shipwrecks.
- A fish's swim bladder can send back sound, which helps scientists find schools of fish with sonar.
- Fish-finding sonar gives scientists a kind of 'virtual reality' view of how fish use coral reefs.
Sources: NOAA Ocean Service, NOAA Ocean Exploration, NOAA Ocean Service
Questions kids ask
How does sonar find things?
It sends out sound and listens for the echo that bounces back.