What happens when sound wave loses energy?

In summary, the conversation is about a high school student's project on sound absorbing material and how the absorption of sound affects its energy and frequency. The student shares results from their experiment measuring standing waves in a tube at 500 Hz and 1000 Hz frequencies. They also discuss a wiki graphic on sound volume and a formula for sound energy. The conversation concludes with a question about why the graph for 500 Hz looks different from the graph for 1000 Hz. The expert summarizer clarifies that sound energy is mainly determined by pressure, but frequency does play a role. The differences in the graphs may be due to various factors in the experiment.
  • #1
darkmamon
2
0
I'm a high school student doing the project about sound absorbing material
When the sound is absorbed or loses its energy which of its value will change? pressure? wavelength? or frequency?
(at first I though that the sound wave will just lose its amplitude but after the result,It look like its frequency changes too)

This is the result from my experiment(measure the standing wave in the tube)
-500 Hz frequency : http://imgur.com/2Y2jCxD
(It looks weird on this frequency.my friend said this happens because of change in frequency)
-1000 Hz requency: http://imgur.com/oRRsRm8
Thank you very much for your answer
 
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  • #3
fresh_42 said:
Have a look on this Wiki graphic:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lautstärke#/media/File:Akustik_db2phon.jpg
(vertical axis: pressure, horizontal axis: frequency, graphic lines: iso-volume)

The formula for energy can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_energy

Note: Volume is a human "psycho-acustic" term to describe amplitude or pressure in terms of perception.

so... from what i read in your link,It looks like the frequency is irrelevant from the sound energy.
That means the sound will have the same frequency if it loses the energy?
but Why that graph happen in 500 Hz?. It's like there's a 2 kind of node in it .
The graph should look like 1000 Hz graph?
 
  • #4
darkmamon said:
so... from what i read in your link,It looks like the frequency is irrelevant from the sound energy.
The kinetic part of the sound energy has particle velocity in it which again has the frequency as part of it. (I'm not saying that it is an essential part.)
That means the sound will have the same frequency if it loses the energy?
Sound is a longitudinal wave and its energy mainly determined by the pressure it puts on a surface, e.g. our eardrum.
but Why that graph happen in 500 Hz?. It's like there's a 2 kind of node in it .
The graph should look like 1000 Hz graph?
I don't find that the graphs are so much different. They both don't look optimal. Your measurement probably depends on many factors and some of them, like reflections in the room, might differ with frequency. It is impossible to tell without knowing everything about the experiment.
 

Related to What happens when sound wave loses energy?

1. What causes a sound wave to lose energy?

There are several factors that can cause a sound wave to lose energy. One of the main reasons is distance - the farther a sound wave travels, the more it spreads out and loses energy. Other factors include obstacles in the path of the sound wave, such as walls or other objects, and the medium through which the sound is traveling.

2. How does the medium affect the energy of a sound wave?

The medium through which a sound wave travels can greatly affect its energy. In general, sound waves travel more easily and with less energy loss through denser mediums, such as water or solids. In less dense mediums, like air, sound waves can lose energy more quickly, especially over long distances.

3. Can sound waves lose energy in a vacuum?

No, sound waves cannot propagate in a vacuum as there is no medium for the wave to travel through. Therefore, sound waves cannot lose energy in a vacuum as they cannot exist in this environment.

4. How does the frequency of a sound wave affect its energy loss?

The frequency, or pitch, of a sound wave does not directly affect its energy loss. However, higher frequency sound waves tend to dissipate more quickly over long distances due to their shorter wavelengths. This means they spread out more and lose energy faster compared to lower frequency waves with longer wavelengths.

5. Can a sound wave regain energy that it has lost?

Yes, sound waves can regain some of the energy they have lost. This can happen if the sound wave is amplified, for example by using a microphone and speaker system. However, some energy will always be lost due to factors such as distance and obstacles in the path of the sound wave.

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