Acoustics Flashcards
How is sound created?
Sound is caused by something emitting energy in the form of a vibration
Everything that vibrates creates a sound
Sound through the air are vibrations of air molecules a pressure variation - sound pressure perceived by the ear as sound
What is ultra and infra sound?
Infrasound are sounds Below 20Hz
Ultrasound are sounds above 20,000Hz
Human ears perceives frequencies between 20-20,000Hz
What is a sound wave?
It is a disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another. The waves are made up of compressions (peaks) and rarefactions (troughs)
Example - tuning fork
As fork moves outward, air molecules in the air are pushed closer together. This is high pressure - compression
As fork moves inwards, air molecules pushed further apart. This is low pressure - rarefaction
What are the two types of waves? Describe them
LONGITUDINAL (sound)
Particles move/vibrate in same direction as the wave energy. It runs PARALLEL to the wave every source. (Hand pushing/pulling)
TRANSVERSE (water)
Particles move/vibrate perpendicular (90 degrees) to direction of wave energy (dropping stone into water causing ripples - stone downwards, ripple outward)
What is a cycle?
One complete vibration (rotation) made up of one compression and one rarefaction
What is the period?
The time (in seconds) required for one cycle to complete
Describe a wavelength
The measure of distance between 2 identical parts of a wave ie peak to peak or trough to trough
It is the DISTANCE it takes for one complete cycle (1 compression and 1 rarefaction) and is measured in METRES
What is the difference between a periodic, aperiodic and sine wave?
Periodic is a tone which repeats itself it is pure tone.
Sine wave is a pure tone, 1 single frequency repeating. It is the simplest sound
Aperiodic is random, non repeating complex
What is the speed of sound?
340 metres per second
What is frequency?
The rate at which something occurs over a particular period of time.
It is measured in HERTZ
It is subjectively experienced s as PITCH
Ie how many wavelengths (complete cycles of a wave) pass a certain point per second.
Less vibrations = low frequency due to longer (extended) wavelength
More vibrations = higher frequency as particles pushed closer together (compressed)
What is pitch?
It is the subjective experience/sensation of a wavelength and it’s frequency
Sounds are classes as high or low pitch but, unlike frequency, it cannot be measured as it varies from one person to another.
What is intensity?
Intensity (amplitude) is the distance from normal pressure (where particles normally sit) to the point of maximum displacement - the larger the amplitude/displacement the LOUDER the sound
Therefore amplitude is subjectively experienced as LOUDNESS
What is sound decay?
Sounds naturally dissipate over time as they lose their energy. This is known as decay.
Equation to measure sound?
V
—-
F W
Velocity we know is 340m/s
Frequency will be in hertz
Wavelength in meters
Velocity divided by F or W gives the other
F x W = velocity
Ie v divided f (@1kHz) is:
340 divided by 1000 = 0.34 metres wavelength
Transmission of sounds - describe 8 types
DIFFRACTION - ability of sound waves to BEND around objects. Longer the wavelength (lower frequency) the easier it is
DIFFUSION - scattering of sound, more even
ECHOES - delayed return of sound, a effective wave with an audio gap
ABSORPTION - gets absorbed ie by soft furnishings
RESONANCE - continuation of a sound due to reflection
HEAD SHADOW - region of reduced amplitude of a sound as it is obstructed by the head - this is an important part of Localisation
REFLECTION - of sound not absorbed or transmitted when it strikes a surface it is reflected. Direct when strikes, indirect when reflected
REVERBERATION - when reflection occurs but causes persistent sounds due to multiple simultaneously occurring reflected sound waves
Reverberation TIME - use a sound source louder than 60 dB.
Switch off sound source - time taken for sound to drop by 60 dB is measured
What is Phase?
Relates to the position of a particle on a waveform.
Where 0 degrees means both waves exactly in phase then
If waves are 360 degrees to one another they are in sync
If waves are 180 to one another there are exactly opposite and therefore out of phase
What is interference?
When 2 waves overlap it can be construction or destructive interference
2 sounds in phase = combined their stronger ie constructive
2 sounds out of phase combine b cancel one another out ie destructive - no sound
What is the inverse square law?
As the sound doubles the distance from its source, it loses 6dB every time it doubles
‘Intensity’ decreases proportionally to the square of the distance from the source
Original intensity divided by the distance squared
If sound is 65dBSPL it will be 59dBSPL at 2m, 53 at 4m, 47m at 8m and so on
What is distortion?
Sounds/ noises (unwanted) that were not present in the original sound ie additional sounds at the output that were not present at the input
What are decibels?
It is a measurement of sound pressure. It tells us how LOUD a sound is,but it is not an absolute measurement (intensity is subjectively experienced as loudness)
How do we measure a sound using decibels?
We compare the ratio (of pressure) of one sound (the sound we hear) to a reference sound (the quietest sound humans can hear 0 on dBHL and 0 on dBSPL)
Therefore hearing tests actually test the sensitivity to pressure changes.
How do we measure pressure?
PASCALS! Unit of measurement for pressure. Pascal (Pa)
Humans quietest sound heard is
0.00002Pa (or 20 micropascals)
Loudest sound humans hear is
20 pascals (or 20,000,000 micro pascals)
1 micro pascal = 1,000,000 pascals
How do we convert pascals to dBSPL?
dBSPL = 20 x log (pressure divided by reference pressure)
Examples - what is 2000 microPa in dBSPL?
20 x log (2000 divided by 20 quietest sound = 100 count the zeros - 2)
Therefore,
20 x 2 = 40
2000 microPa = 40 dBSPL
What is MAF and MAP?
Minimum audible field and
Minimum audible pressure
MAF - minimum level of hearing detected binaural without headphones (free field). Normal threshold of hearing.
MAP - minimum level of hearing detected monoaurally via headphones. More sound needed monoaurally as no summation of sound.
How much sound needed to be noticed.
MAP scale used for correction factors when converting dBSPL to dBHL.