Sound wave energy transfer to heat water?

In summary, the conversation revolves around finding an equation or information on the relationship between sound waves and heat transfer, specifically in regards to an experiment involving a container of water and a speaker. The participants discuss the difficulty of finding a specific equation and suggest experimenting and measuring the results as the best approach. They also mention a fact about sound energy heating a cup of coffee, but acknowledge that it would take a significant amount of time and insulation to achieve this.
  • #1
Necessity
2
0
I was just wondering if anyone has any idea on how I would go about working this out. I have performed the experiments at home, placing a container of water on top of a speaker and then playing a high frequency and high dB sound through them, however, I can not find any equations online or in my college textbooks which describe the calculations required to find the energy given off in a sound wave.

In a nutshell, I'm specifically after some sort of equation which describes the relationship between sound waves and heat transfer.

Any help appreciated :)

Cheers
 
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  • #2
Good luck.

This is why people spend yrs getting degrees in Physics or Engineering. To solve such a problem you need to apply the basic principles and derive the relationships involved.

For your case there is NO way go come up with, from first principles the fraction of sound energy which enters the water and causes a heat gain.

It is trivial to compute the energy required to increase the temperature of a known mass of water a known amount. Measure your temperature increase, compute the energy put in. Then measure the amount of energy produced by your amp. The difference will be the amount of energy lost to the surroundings.
 
  • #3
Sorry, I wasn't actually asking for someone to create a formula for me, but rather, point me in the direction to where someone may have performed the same experiment and done the maths already.

There is a way of doing it as there is a fact I've found on the internet before that says:

"If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee."
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/diseverything/blog/2008/09/07/some_crazy_facts

I can't find anything further on that fact though :(
 
  • #4
It should not be difficult to find something about the energy content of a sound wave. But, as I said above that does NOT tell you how much of that energy is transferred to your water container. There is not going to be a canned equation which tells you that. Your best bet is experimental. IE measure it.
 
  • #5
Look up "high intensity focused ultrasound". That may have some useful information although it is dealing exclusively with frequencies above the audio range.
 
  • #6
Necessity said:
"If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee."
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/diseverything/blog/2008/09/07/some_crazy_facts

That alone is enough for a preliminary calculation.

Even if you had a speaker's volume turned up to 10 times the power of a person yelling, it would still take nearly a year (10 months) to heat a cup of coffee.

And it goes without saying, that cup would have to be extremely well insulated! Yes, insulated well enough that it would not lose any appreciable heat in 10 months. I don't know of any insulation that is that good.

Sounds like an impossible task.
 

1. How does sound wave energy transfer to heat water?

Sound waves are a form of mechanical energy that can cause vibrations in matter. When sound waves travel through water, they cause the water molecules to vibrate, which results in an increase in kinetic energy. This increase in kinetic energy leads to an increase in temperature, ultimately heating the water.

2. What type of sound waves are most effective for heating water?

Low-frequency sound waves are most effective for heating water. This is because they have longer wavelengths and can travel a greater distance through the water, causing more molecules to vibrate and transfer energy.

3. Can sound wave energy efficiently heat large volumes of water?

Yes, sound wave energy can efficiently heat large volumes of water. However, the efficiency may vary depending on the frequency and intensity of the sound waves, as well as the properties of the water being heated.

4. Is sound wave energy transfer to heat water a sustainable method?

Yes, sound wave energy transfer to heat water is considered a sustainable method. This is because sound waves are a renewable energy source and do not produce harmful emissions or waste products.

5. Are there any potential drawbacks or limitations to using sound wave energy to heat water?

One potential drawback of using sound wave energy to heat water is that it may not be as efficient as other heat transfer methods, such as electricity or solar power. Additionally, the equipment and technology needed to produce and direct sound waves can be expensive and may not be accessible for all applications.

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