- What is sound energy?
- How do sound waves propagate?
- Sound energy characteristics
- Sound energy or acoustic energy
- Examples of sound energy
We explain what sound energy is, its characteristics and some examples. Also, how sound waves propagate.
What is sound energy?
Sound energy or acoustic energy is the amount of Energy that transmit the waves of sound, proceeding from the vibration of the object that gives rise to them and that move through some physical means (the air, for example).
In this sense, sound energy encompasses different forms of energy such as kinetics (movement from particles) wave potential (changes of Pressure in the physical environment), and even the thermal energy.
From a physical point of view, sound is a set of particles that move or vibrate in an organized way in response to some specific stimulus that, in turn, gives them an initial form of energy.
These vibrations contain a quantity of energy, which is sound energy. Although it is not usually used to generate other forms of energy (since its power is very low), it can be measured and even used to move objects, as occurs inside microphones.
How do sound waves propagate?
Sound waves are capable of propagating through different materials, be they liquids, solid or fizzy. However, they are unable to propagate in a vacuum, unlike electromagnetic waves.
This means that the outer space it is a silent place, unlike our planet, where sound travels at 343 meters per second in dry air at 20 ° C, or at 1531 meters per second in Water marina to the same temperature. In solids, sound waves can go faster or slower depending on the type of solid.
This is due to the fact that sound propagates by moving the particles of the transmission medium, in the same way that the waves of an object thrown into water are the result of the movement of water and spread across the surface, causing any object to move. float on it.
Sound energy characteristics
Sound energy is measured in two terms:
- Acoustic intensity. It is the amount of energy that waves contain per unit area and time, that is, the acoustic power that a sound wave transmits per unit area, expressed in decibels.
- Sound pressure. It is the force per unit area with which sound waves push the medium. It is measured in Pascals in the International system, unit equivalent to the force of 1 Newton (1 N) exerted on a surface of one square meter (1 m2).
On the other hand, sound energy acts like any other type of energy and therefore obeys the Principle of conservation of energy. Furthermore, it can be transformed into other forms of energy and is capable of being amplified or modulated using specialized instruments.
Sound energy or acoustic energy
The terms sonorous (from the Latin sonorus, "That sounds") or acoustic (from the Greek akouein, “Hear”) in relation to energy are synonyms. "Sound energy" and "acoustic energy", "sound waves" and "acoustic waves" are equivalent terms.
However, acoustics is also the branch of physics responsible for the study of sound, so it is usually used in more specialized areas.
Examples of sound energy
Some examples of sound energy:
- If we have been at home when a storm passes outside, we will have noticed that the most intense thunder makes the windowpanes shake. It is the sound energy that is transmitted to the glass and is converted into kinetic energy (movement).
- By putting your hand on an amplifier during a concert, you can see how the sound energy is transmitted to the air and to your hand.
- The classic episode of a soprano singer breaking glass goblets is a demonstration of the enormous sound energy that her vocal cords can produce. For this to be possible, the singer must emit waves with the resonant frequency of the crystal and at a high volume.