ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Acoustic location

Acoustic location means using sound to figure out where something is. Let's pretend you're playing hide and seek with your friends in a big room. When it's your turn to count, you close your eyes and try to listen carefully for any sounds your friends might make while they hide. If you hear a noise, like a giggle or a sneeze, you might be able to guess where your friends are hiding based on where the sound is coming from.

Acoustic location works a lot like this. Instead of playing hide and seek, people use special tools to listen for sounds in the air. They might use microphones or other devices to help them capture the sounds they hear. Then, they can use computer programs or other tools to analyze the sounds and figure out where they came from.

People use acoustic location for all sorts of things. For example, if a plane or boat goes missing, rescuers might use acoustic location to try to find it. They might listen for the sound of the engine or other noises the vehicle makes, and use that information to figure out where it is.

Acoustic location can also be used for scientific research. For example, scientists might listen for the sounds that whales or dolphins make in the ocean to study their behavior. By analyzing the sounds, they can learn more about how these animals communicate and how they use sound to navigate.

So, acoustic location is a way of using sound to figure out where things are. It's kind of like playing a game of hide and seek with your ears!