Could a man hold sustained flight using sound?

In summary: You would need a very powerful acoustic emitter and a very powerful audio amplifier to generate the thrust. Even if you had both of those things, the human's voice would not be enough to generate enough thrust to fly.
  • #1
Astro_Will
12
0
I was reading an article on Acoustic Levitation http://science.howstuffworks.com/acoustic-levitation2.htm and near the end it said
Levitating small objects -- or even small animals --
This got me thinking about the character Banshee from X-Men
images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRsiXwELh_re8ECbIVdVlAArcsiZkpBgnIV1c94vCvpDgUFBYmR.jpg
Who's power, as described by the X-Men wikia is
Powers to create powerful sonic waves with his voice with which he can achieve various effects... ability to fly at subsonic speeds by using his voice to propel him through the air.
Now I understand that this is not the same thing as levitation but I was wondering if it was still possible. Assuming that a man does have the physical ability to produce such powerful sounds without injury and with the assistance of a glider suit, could flight be sustained? He is 5'9" (175.26cm) and 170lbs (77.1107kg). Which aspect would be more important to his flight: decibel level or frequency? Would frequency be higher or lower for faster flight at high altitudes? Also if a person was falling from directly above him would his sound be able to slow them down or even stop them without causing them physical harm? What if it was an inanimate object and its well-being did not need to be protected? What level sound would need to be produced in this situation?

I know I'm asking a lot of questions so I don't expect all of them to be answered but it's just something I've been wondering for a while now. Also if you could tell me how you got to your answers that would be great. Thanks!
 
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  • #2
That is a super-power, so we are thinking in terms of constructing a vehicle of some kind that uses soundwaves for propulsion - preferably a flying machine.

Cannot think of any reason off the top of my head that it is not possible in principle - sound is just a pressure wave after all and you know shock-waves (high amplitude sounds pulses) can move things around and even lift people off their feet.

See:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/sound-pressure-d_711.html
... for a starting point.

Seriously doubt such a machine would fit into a backpack - even with a flight-suit.
It would certainly be illegal to operate one over built-up areas. The SST produces a sonic boom that can shatter windows but does not knock people over ... you are speculating about something much more powerful.
 
  • #3
Astro_Will,

You are attempting to mix fictional fantasy stories with real natural science. Levitation of tiny objects is possible for some light-weight objects if they are trapped in an "acoustic standing wave node" (you may Google that phrase). This mechanism does not apply the sort of thrust you are asking about where a human’s voice would generate enough thrust for a man to fly.

Experiment with a powerful acoustic emitter (speaker, for example). Using a sound source and a powerful audio amplifier, energize the speaker. Then hold a flat plate near the speaker’s output. Try to measure the force exerted on that plate. Reverse the measurement: try to measure the recoil force the speaker causes while emitting high power sound. Results in both cases: NONE. Therefore, no human, no matter how loud his voice may be, could propel himself to fly.

Cheers,
Bobbywhy
 
  • #4
Hmm, I'd never thought about. There might be some clever way to do it, but I sure can't think of one. Sound waves are pressure waves. So you get a pressure that moves an object in some direction, but a millisecond or so later you get rarification (reduced pressure) that moves the object in the opposite direction, so it cancels out. If you were moving at the speed of sound then you could "surf" a pressure wave, but if you yourself are producing the sound then it will never catch up to speed-of-sound you.

That levitation seems to be like this. You have a standing wave, so there are static regions of pressure that are more dense than the object being levitated. Areas of air that are more dense than a human body are not going to happen.

If there is a lot of thrust coming out of his mouth, why doesn't it blow his head off? Even if it didn't, why doesn't he tumble end over end?

You might have more luck having this sound reduce something's mass. Uh, maybe the frequency is so high it disturbs the strong force in something's atoms. But that would be a lot more likely to cause some ungodly explosion.

I don't see any way to do it.
 
  • #5


I can tell you that sustained flight using sound is not currently possible for a human being. While acoustic levitation has been successfully demonstrated with small objects and animals, the technology is still in its infancy and is not capable of supporting the weight of a human. Additionally, the power and precision required to produce sustained flight using sound would be beyond the capabilities of the human voice.

Regarding the character Banshee from X-Men, his ability to fly using sound is a fictional concept and is not based in scientific reality. While it may be entertaining to imagine such abilities, they are not currently possible with our understanding of physics.

In terms of decibel level versus frequency, both would play a role in the ability to achieve flight using sound. Decibel level measures the intensity of sound, while frequency measures the number of sound waves per second. In order for sustained flight to occur, a combination of high decibel levels and specific frequencies would be necessary.

As for the scenario of a person falling from above and using sound to slow them down, this would not be possible without causing harm to the person. The amount of force required to counteract the pull of gravity on a falling human body would be immense and would likely cause serious injury or even death.

Inanimate objects may be more feasible to manipulate using sound, but the level of sound required would depend on the size and weight of the object. It would also be important to consider the potential damage that could be caused to the object by the sound waves.

In summary, while levitation and flight using sound may be possible in small-scale experiments, it is not currently feasible for a human being to achieve sustained flight using sound alone. The technology and understanding of physics are not advanced enough to support such abilities.
 

1. Can sound be used to lift a man and allow for sustained flight?

While sound does have the ability to create vibrations and movement, it is not strong enough to lift a man and allow for sustained flight. The energy produced by sound waves is not sufficient to counteract the force of gravity and keep a man airborne for an extended period of time.

2. Is it possible to create a sound-based propulsion system for flight?

While there have been experiments and theories about using sound as a propulsion system for flight, there is currently no evidence to suggest that it is a viable option. The amount of energy needed to generate sufficient lift and thrust would be too large for practical use.

3. Could a man be lifted and carried by sound waves?

It is theoretically possible for a man to be lifted and carried by sound waves, but it would require extremely powerful and concentrated sound waves. These sound waves would also need to be constantly directed and controlled, making it impractical for human transportation.

4. Is there any research being done on using sound for flight?

There is ongoing research on using sound for flight, but it is primarily focused on small-scale applications such as drones or micro air vehicles. These studies are exploring the potential of using sound to create lift and manipulate air flow in order to improve flight efficiency.

5. Are there any current technologies that use sound for flight?

Currently, there are no technologies that use sound as the sole means of flight. However, some aircrafts do use sound waves to help with navigation and control, such as sonic booms for supersonic flight or ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection. These technologies are not used for sustained flight, but rather as supplementary functions.

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