Born2bwire said:Simply because the wavelength of the sound wave decreases with increasing frequency and the attenuation of the wave is dependent upon the depth of penetration in terms of wavelengths. Given the same properties at 100 Hz and say 1 KHz, the waves will be attenuated by the same factor if both of them penetrate 1 wavelength into a lossy material. The difference though is that the 1 KHz will have to penetrate less distance to cover a single wavelength versus the 100 Hz.
Physically the reason is more complicated. I am not too sure about the physical explanations of attenuation and reflection when it comes to sound waves as I do electromagnetic waves but the physics are the same. I could attempt at an explanation but I'm sure that some of the other posters can do it far more competently.
Frequency refers to the number of complete cycles of a wave that occur in a given time. It is typically measured in Hertz (Hz) which is equivalent to one cycle per second.
The higher the frequency of a wave, the shorter its wavelength and the shallower its penetration depth. This means that high frequency waves have less energy and are absorbed more quickly, resulting in a shallower penetration into a material.
The main factors that influence penetration depth are the frequency and properties of the material being penetrated. Higher frequencies, denser materials, and materials with higher absorption coefficients will result in a shallower penetration depth.
Penetration depth refers to the distance that a wave can travel into a material before it loses a significant amount of energy. It is often used to describe the ability of a wave to pass through a material and is dependent on the frequency and properties of the material.
Penetration depth can be measured using various techniques such as ultrasound, X-rays, and electromagnetic waves. These methods use the principles of wave propagation and attenuation to determine the depth at which the wave loses a significant amount of energy.