Unit 2 PDF

acoustics
Unit-II
Fundamentals
Fundamentals:
Sound Generation
- is generated when pressure oscillations are

generated in an elastic medium at rates that are
detectable by a hearing medium.
- sound is generated whenever there is a

disturbance of an elastic medium.
- physical phenomenon that stimulates the sense of

hearing.
Fundamentals:
Sound Generation
- is a form of energy produced by vibrating objects.
- is a waveform that travels in matter.
Sound wave propagates in all directions.

Sound Pressure Compression / Rarefaction
High
Normal
Low
Time
Time domain plot of a waveform:

a graph showingamplitude changes
Fundamentals:
SOUND
Sound is a wave motion in air
or other elastic media
Sound is the sensation stimulated in the

organs of hearing by mechanical radiant energy
transmitted as longitudinal pressure waves
through the air or other medium
Fundamentals:
“Photo of sound transmission”

Fundamentals:
Sound Wave – a longitudinal pressure wave in air

or an elastic medium, especially one producing an
audible sensation
Wavelength – the distance, measured in the

direction of propagation of a wave, from any one
point to the next point of corresponding phase
Amplitude – the maximum deviation of a wave

from its average value
Fundamentals:
Frequency – the number of cycles per unit time of

a wave
Hertz – the SI unit of frequency, equal to one cycle

per second (Hz)
Fundamentals:
Sound is measured in decibels (dB), a logarithmic

scale that compares the amplitudes of two sound
waves. A doubling of amplitude represents a
difference of about 6 dB.
• Intensity: power of the changes in air pressure as

they contact your ear
• Sound Pressure Level (SPL): intensity of a sound

relative to the threshold of hearing, measured in
dB
Fundamentals:
Fundamentals:
Acoustics is generally a linear phenomenon
Fundamentals:
Fundamentals:
Sound filled is a region filled with one several

sound waves
Sound waves with frequency range to human

hearing is between 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz
Hertz is the unit of frequency
1 Hz = 1 period/second
Fundamentals:
SOUND PROPAGATION:
REFLECTION
REFRACTION
DIFFRACTION
DIFFUSION
Fundamentals:
REFLECTION
- When a sound wave encounters a sharp

discontinuity in the density of its medium, some of
its energy is reflected.
- Reflected sound energy follows the law of optics,

reflected energy have equal angles of reflection
and incidence.
Fundamentals:
REFRACTION
- A change in direction which sound waves

undergoes when entering a different medium
Fundamentals:
DIFFUSION
- The reflection of sound off a convex or uneven

surface.
- The process of spreading or dispersing radiated

energy so that it is less direct or coherent.
Fundamentals:
DIFFRACTION
- The bending of the travel of sound caused by an

obstacle in its path.
- The bending of waves around small obstacles and

the spreading out of waves beyond small openings.
Sound Transmission
The requirements for the production of
sound waves are:
1. A source which initiates a mechanical
disturbance.
2. An elastic medium through which the
disturbance can be transmitted.
Density Matters
Dense air is a more efficient transmitter of
sound than rarefied air.
At high altitudes, where the density of the air is
lower, less energy may be transferred from the
source to the air.
Sound does not travel through a vacuum. It is
only transmitted through a material medium.
Sound travels very effectively through solids
and liquids.
Speed of Sound
Medium velocity m/sec
air (20º C) 343
air (0º C) 331
water (25º C) 1493
sea water 1533
diamond 12000
iron 5130
copper 3560
glass 5640
Summary
depends on the amplitude of vibration
Soft Loud
Loudness
depends on frequency
Properties OR
Pitch Low High
Characteristics
of sound
depends on waveform
Quality or Clearer Mixed
Timbre
Loudness
Compare the waveforms below:
What is the difference between them?
The amplitude of vibration.

So how do we vary the amplitude?
Loudness
The loudness of sound is dependent on the amount of

energy which is transferred to the medium.
It in turn is dependent on the amplitude of vibrations of
the object.
The greater the energy

from the source Larger amplitude Louder
of vibration sound
(More energy transfer)
Pitch
Sound waves are caused when a vibrating object

introduce vibration into a medium.
Vibrating objects e.g. vocal cords, guitar string,
tines of tuning fork,
Medium e.g. air, water particles etc.
How often the particles of the medium vibrate is

referred to the frequency of a wave.
Pitch
Higher
frequency!
What determines the pitch of sound?

The frequency of vibration.
So how do we vary the pitch? E.g. guitar string

Quality
Similar musical notes (i.e. same pitch) sounds different
on different instruments (e.g. piano and guitar).
These sounds have different quality or timbre.
Tuning fork Piano Trumpet

Quality
What determines the quality of sound?
The waveform.
Loudness of Sound in Decibels
Sound Loudness (dbs) Hearing
Damage
Average Home 40-50
Loud Music 90-100 After long

exposure
Rock Concert 115-120 Progressive
Jet Engine 120-170 Pain

Ultrasound
-sound waves with frequencies above the
normal human range of hearing.
Sounds in the range from 20-100kHz
Infrasound
- sounds with frequencies below the
normal human range of hearing.
Sounds in the 20-200 Hz range
Doppler Effect
is the apparent change in the
frequency of a sound caused by
the motion of either the listener
or the source of the sound.
Sounds from Moving Sources.
› A moving source of sound or a moving
observer experiences an apparent shift of
frequency called the Doppler Effect.
› If the source is moving as fast or faster than
the speed of sound, the sound waves pile up
into a shock wave called a sonic boom.
› A sonic boom sounds very much like the
pressure wave from an explosion
Supersonic Flight
What we have covered…
Production Vibrating
sources
Transmission Requires a
medium
Detection Audibility
Sound
Reflection Echoes
Measuring its Direct and

speed indirect method
Pitch, Loudness Different

and Quality waveforms
INVERSE - SQUARE LAW FOR SOUND
Another very important but little

known acoustical phenomena is
the Inverse Square Law. As a
sound wave propagates
spherically, the sound energy is
distributed over the ever-
increasing surface diameter of
the wave front surface.
The Inverse Square Law teaches
us that for every doubling of the
distance from the sound source
in a free field situation, the sound
intensity will by -6 decibels.
Under ideal conditions a free field could be represented by a
sound signal being generated from a mountain peak. In real
life situations however, rooms bounded by walls, floors and
ceilings will interrupt the inverse square law at a distance in
tan average 30′ square room at approximately 10-12 feet from
the sound source. Nevertheless it is important to accept the
notion that sound will diminish in intensity with distance. For
example, in a typical classroom with a teachers voice signal
of 65 decibels at a three-foot distance from the teacher; at 6
feet away the sound intensity will be 59 decibels and at twelve
feet it will diminish down to 53 decibels. (This is important to
remember as we discuss the Signal to Noise Ratio S/NR later
on)
Decibel scale:

Unit 2 PDF

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Unit 2 PDF

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acoustics

- is generated when pressure oscillations are

- sound is generated whenever there is a

- physical phenomenon that stimulates the sense of

Sound wave propagates in all directions.

Time domain plot of a waveform:

Sound is the sensation stimulated in the

“Photo of sound transmission”

Sound Wave – a longitudinal pressure wave in air

Wavelength – the distance, measured in the

Amplitude – the maximum deviation of a wave

Frequency – the number of cycles per unit time of

Hertz – the SI unit of frequency, equal to one cycle

Sound is measured in decibels (dB), a logarithmic

• Intensity: power of the changes in air pressure as

• Sound Pressure Level (SPL): intensity of a sound

Sound ﬁlled is a region ﬁlled with one several

Sound waves with frequency range to human

Hertz is the unit of frequency

- When a sound wave encounters a sharp

- Reﬂected sound energy follows the law of optics,

- A change in direction which sound waves

- The reﬂection of sound off a convex or uneven

- The process of spreading or dispersing radiated

- The bending of the travel of sound caused by an

- The bending of waves around small obstacles and

Compare the waveforms below:

What is the difference between them?

The amplitude of vibration.

The loudness of sound is dependent on the amount of

The greater the energy

Sound waves are caused when a vibrating object

How often the particles of the medium vibrate is

Compare the waveforms below:

What determines the pitch of sound?

So how do we vary the pitch? E.g. guitar string

Tuning fork Piano Trumpet

Compare the waveforms below:

What determines the quality of sound?

Loud Music 90-100 After long

Jet Engine 120-170 Pain

Measuring its Direct and

Pitch, Loudness Different

Another very important but little

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