Hearing Sound: How Does It Travel?

In summary, The conversation discusses the propagation of sound waves and how they can bend around objects. The concept of Huygens' Principle is also mentioned, which states that sound waves create secondary wavelets in all directions. The conversation also touches on how this applies to different types of waves and the need to solve the wave equation or conduct experiments for a deeper understanding.
  • #1
champ_9999
9
0
if a person speak something , the person just behind him is able to listen to that sound.

so how does this disturbance traveled to the later persons??
 
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  • #2
That's the thing about waves. They propagate around corners.
 
  • #3
Sound reflects and heads resonate?
 
  • #4
Speech is an over/under pressure in the mouth. It starts as a circular wave in the mouth traveling around objects like the water ripples in a pond do.
 
  • #5
What all the others have said; plus...
The typical wavelength of sounds, in air, in the vocal range is about 1 metre. This is significantly larger than the size of the obstacle (your head), and results in the waves tending to bend around it.
 
  • #6
Doug Huffman said:
Sound reflects and heads resonate?


but what if we r in an open ground then from where it would reflect
 
  • #7
Pythagorean said:
That's the thing about waves. They propagate around corners.


do u mean to say they bends as soon as they leave our mouth
 
  • #8
champ_9999 said:
do u mean to say they bends as soon as they leave our mouth

what if we r shouting through a 1 merte long pipe in an open ground

so can the wave bend around the other end of the pipe through 180 degrees?

or the wave can travel through our head??
 
  • #10
0xDEADBEEF said:
Huygens' Principle states that from every point on the wave front there is sound going in all directions.

http://physics.about.com/od/mathematicsofwaves/a/huygensprincipl.htm


so u mean to say
there exist secondary wavelets in soundwaves..??

so can u just explain me the funda of secondary wavelets ,,, i mean in which types of waves secondary wavelets exists like in sound waves or in string waves or some other kind of waves..??
 
  • #11
These "wavelets" exist in all waves. Strings are one dimensional though, so the wave is the same as the wavelet. In a way the primary wave consist of the secondary ones, it is not one starting the other.
But anyways this is just the rough principle to get deeper you have to solve the wave equation or look at experiments.

Here is a link with some pictures of waves hitting an obstacle (number 4):
http://www.dieter-heidorn.de/Physik/LK_AG/SchwingungenWellen/K3_MechanischeWellen/K33_Huygens/K33_Huygens.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #12
well thanks buddy...!@
 

1. How does sound travel through the air?

Sound travels through the air in the form of waves. When an object vibrates, it creates a disturbance in the surrounding air molecules, causing them to compress and expand. This creates a chain reaction, with the molecules transferring the energy to neighboring molecules, eventually reaching our ears as sound.

2. What is the speed of sound?

The speed of sound depends on the medium it is traveling through. In dry air at room temperature, sound travels at approximately 343 meters per second. However, it can travel faster in denser mediums such as water or solids.

3. How does sound travel through different mediums?

Sound waves travel through different mediums by vibrating the molecules in that medium. In solids, such as walls or floors, the molecules are packed tightly together, allowing sound waves to travel faster. In liquids, such as water, the molecules are closer together than in air, allowing sound to travel faster than in air but slower than in solids.

4. Can sound travel through a vacuum?

No, sound cannot travel through a vacuum. A vacuum is an area with no matter, so there are no molecules for sound waves to vibrate and travel through. Therefore, sound cannot be heard in space.

5. What factors affect the speed of sound?

The speed of sound is affected by several factors, including the temperature, humidity, and altitude of the medium it is traveling through. As the temperature increases, so does the speed of sound. Humidity and altitude can also affect the speed of sound, with higher levels of humidity and altitude causing it to travel slower.

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