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Physics of Sound
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Sound Pressure Level (SPL)
The logarithmic measure of the RMS sound pressure of a sound relative to a reference value.
Wave Equation
Describes how sound waves propagate through different media;
Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction
States that a change in magnetic field within a closed loop of wire induces an electromotive force (EMF) in the wire.
Inverse Square Law
Describes the decrease in sound intensity as the distance from the sound source increases; specifically, intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.
Reverberation Time
The time it takes for the sound to decay by 60 dB from its initial level in an enclosed space.
Sonic Boom
The sound associated with the shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound.
Ohm's Acoustic Law
Musical sounds are perceived by the ear as being composed of multiple simple harmonic sounds or tones.
Huygens' Principle
Every point on a wavefront acts as a source of spherical secondary wavelets that spread out in the forward direction at the speed of the wave itself.
Mach Number
The ratio of the speed of an object to the speed of sound in the surrounding medium.
Resonance
The tendency of a system to oscillate at larger amplitude at certain frequencies known as natural frequencies or resonant frequencies.
Intensity of Sound
The power carried by sound waves per unit area, which corresponds to the amplitude squared.
Beat Frequency
Occurs when two sound waves of slightly different frequencies interfere with each other, leading to a fluctuating amplitude perceived as beats.
Impulse Response
Describes how an acoustic system reacts over time to a brief input signal (impulse).
Shock Waves
A type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the speed of sound in the medium, causing a sudden change in pressure, temperature, and density of the medium.
Timbre
The quality of a sound that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices or musical instruments, even when they have the same pitch and loudness.
Snell's Law
The relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction, when referring to waves passing through a boundary between two different isotropic media.
Standing Wave
The interference pattern formed by two waves of the same frequency traveling in opposite directions in the same space.
Critical Angle and Total Internal Reflection
The angle of incidence above which waves are no longer refracted but totally reflected back into the original medium.
Sound Absorption
The process by which the energy of a sound wave is taken up by the medium through which it passes and transformed into other forms of energy, usually heat.
Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC)
A scalar representation of the amount of sound energy absorbed upon striking a particular surface.
Harmonics
Higher frequency modes of vibration that are integer multiples of a fundamental frequency, contributing to the timbre of a sound.
Fourier's Theorem
Any complex wave can be broken down into a series of sine waves, each with its own amplitude, frequency, and phase.
Doppler Effect
The apparent change in frequency of a sound wave when there is relative motion between the source of the sound and the observer.
Acoustic Impedance
A measure of the opposition that a system presents to the acoustic flow resulting from an acoustic pressure applied to the system.
Anechoic Chamber
A room designed to completely absorb reflections of sound or electromagnetic waves; used to measure the direct sound without any interference from echoes.
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