What is the appropriate sensor size for a 10 KHz acoustic signal in sea water at 20 degrees C?

The correct answer indicates that the appropriate sensor size for a 10 KHz acoustic signal is the same for both underwater and above-water platforms. This conclusion is grounded in the principles of acoustic wave propagation, which dictates that the frequency of the signals and the type of medium through which they travel play crucial roles in determining how sensor designs are optimized.

In the context of acoustic signals, the wavelength is inversely proportional to the frequency and can be calculated using the speed of sound in the medium. In sea water at 20 degrees Celsius, the speed of sound is about 1,484 meters per second. For a 10 KHz frequency, this results in a wavelength of approximately 148.4 meters. When designing sensors, a common principle is that the sensor's size should ideally be comparable to or larger than the wavelength of the signal to effectively capture and process the signals.

When considering the environments, while underwater platforms may encounter varying factors like pressure and salinity that do affect sensor design, the basic requirement remains that both underwater and above-water sensors can be designed to detect the same frequency without fundamentally altering the size needed for effective detection. Therefore, it remains consistent that the appropriate sensor size does not differ fundamentally between the two environments for a signal of this