Periodic Sound Waves: Pressure & Displacement Intervals

AI Thread Summary
In sound waves, pressure intervals are indeed 90 degrees out of phase with displacement intervals. This means that maximum pressure occurs when particle displacement is at zero, and maximum displacement occurs when pressure is at a minimum. The reason for this phase difference lies in the nature of wave propagation through a medium, where compression and rarefaction occur at different points in the cycle. The relationship between pressure and displacement can be understood through the wave equation and the characteristics of longitudinal waves. Understanding this phase relationship is crucial for grasping the behavior of sound waves in various media.
Gear300
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Apparently, by what I read, the pressure intervals are 90 degrees out of phase with the displacement intervals for a sound wave. How is that so? When the medium is compressed, shouldn't the pressure be at a maximum and when at rarefactions, shouldn't the pressure be at a minimum?
 
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but seriously...if a particle of the wave was displaced inward and outward...its maximum displacement should be where the pressure is highest and lowest, shouldn't it?...why are the displacement and pressure equations 90 degrees out of phase?
 
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