Sound Transmission

The graphic above shows the successive condensations (dark regions) and rarefactions (light regions) of a sound wave as it propagates through air. Many particles of air are involved in the transmission of sound, but they do not move very far. Sound, in fact, is the average motion of many particles moving over small distances.

Here's a brief outline of what we'll be covering in class:

Mechanics of Sound Transmission

• The Spring-Mass System
• Transmission in Air
• Transmission in Other Media

Transmission in the Free Field

• The Inverse-Square Law

Transmission in Fields with Obstacles

• Reflection
• Refraction
• Diffraction
• Interference

Transmission in Enclosed Fields

• Nodes, Antinodes, and Standing Waves
• Sound Coloration