Why a duck's quack doesn't echo

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the phenomenon of a duck's quack and the claim that it does not echo. Participants explore the physics behind this assertion, questioning whether there is a scientific explanation for it.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that the idea of a duck's quack not echoing is a myth, referencing external sources like Snopes.
  • Others propose a more nuanced view, suggesting that the acoustic properties of a duck's quack may lead to varying outcomes, such as absorption or reflection, depending on the environment.
  • A participant mentions the involvement of a professional acoustic expert on the show Mythbusters, who reportedly reached a conclusion similar to that of the Snopes article.
  • One participant introduces a quantum perspective, discussing the concept of acoustic phonons and the uncertainty surrounding their behavior in relation to echoes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether the phenomenon is a myth or if there are valid scientific explanations. No consensus is reached regarding the underlying reasons for the observed behavior of a duck's quack.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on external sources and anecdotal evidence, while others introduce complex concepts from quantum physics, which may not be fully resolved or universally accepted in this context.

tino lin
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A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

Can physics explain this fact and how?
 
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I agree. This is a myth. The link provided by robphy says it all.
 
If a quacking duck were to emit a single acoustic phonon, it may reflect off of
a wall or it may get abosrbed by the wall. And no one knows why since no one
knows the physical basis of quantum superposition.

So parts of a duck's quack somtimes make an echo- and no one does know why!
 
Last edited:
As much as I am not a fan of the show, but Mythbusters had a segment on this as well. They had an accoustic pro come in with a spectrum analyzer and looked at the quakck in various scenarios. Their pro came to the same conclusion as the referenced article from Snopes.
 

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