What is needed to allow sound to move an object

In summary, amplitude has some sort of effect on whether an object will feel force from a sound wave. Material and shape also affect how an object will feel the force.
  • #1
u0362565
52
0
I am interested to know what governs whether an object in the path of a sound wave will feel force. For instance will low frequency sound have more of an effect than high frequency? What difference does the material or shape of the object have on whether it would feel any force from the movement of the air. Would an object only feel force if the frequency matches the resonant frequency of the material?

Thanks for the help
 
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  • #3
u0362565 said:
Would an object only feel force if the frequency matches the resonant frequency of the material?

No. However at resonance the object will usually absorb the most energy from the source.
 
  • #4
u0362565 said:
I am interested to know what governs whether an object in the path of a sound wave will feel force. For instance will low frequency sound have more of an effect than high frequency? What difference does the material or shape of the object have on whether it would feel any force from the movement of the air. Would an object only feel force if the frequency matches the resonant frequency of the material?

Thanks for the help
Amplitude has some sort of effect, you could fit any wave with different amplitude at any given frequency
Standing-wave05.png


but, it would be a different issue when waves of the same frequency is out of phase 1800

phases_wave5.png

Now which do you think would effect vibrations?
 
  • #5
u0362565 said:
I am interested to know what governs whether an object in the path of a sound wave will feel force. For instance will low frequency sound have more of an effect than high frequency? What difference does the material or shape of the object have on whether it would feel any force from the movement of the air. Would an object only feel force if the frequency matches the resonant frequency of the material?

Thanks for the help
Also, sum of 2 waves in the same phase would result higher amplitude
dblslit1.gif
 
  • #7
I am fond of a more everyday example. When you are close enough to a fireworks display, you can feel the explosions thump against your chest.

Enrico Fermi famously dropped a bit of paper when he saw the flash of the Trinity test of the atomic bomb. As the shock wave of sound passed, the falling paper was blown away from the explosion. Then he measured the horizontal displacement of the paper where it hit the ground and he used that to estimate (fairly accurately) the yield of the explosion. Even though Fermi was a physicist, he is my all time favorite engineer.
 

Related to What is needed to allow sound to move an object

What is needed to allow sound to move an object?

To allow sound to move an object, three things are needed: a source of sound, a medium for the sound to travel through, and an object for the sound to act upon.

What is the source of sound?

The source of sound can be anything that produces vibrations, such as a person's voice, a musical instrument, or a speaker.

What is the medium for sound to travel through?

Sound can travel through various mediums such as air, water, and solids. The medium affects the speed and quality of the sound.

How does sound move an object?

Sound causes objects to move by transferring its energy to the particles of the object, causing them to vibrate. This vibration creates waves that travel through the medium and move the object.

What factors affect the movement of an object by sound?

The movement of an object by sound is affected by the loudness and frequency of the sound, the distance between the source of sound and the object, and the properties of the medium through which the sound is traveling.

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