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Part of the energy of a sound wave is absorbed when it comes in contact with a surface, and the rest of that energy is reflected. A soft surface (such as carpet) will absorb much more of the sound than a hard surface (concrete), but the hard surface would still absorb some amount of energy.

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14y ago
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13y ago

This depends really on how soft and thick the surface is, but generally, the softer and thicker a surface is, the more sound will be absorbed, although if the softness can be attributed to low density, then more sound will travel through the surface. This is why if you scream into a pillow, the sound is dampened, but if you scream in a tile bathroom, the sound will be bounced off the tile walls and floors, and sent into the house, likely scaring all who might hear :)

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Q: What happens when sound waves hit a soft surface?
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Do sharp hard corners absorb sound?

sound travels in waves. If you have a hard, smooth, flat surface, the sound waves will bounce right back, without absorbing anything. However, if you have a soft irregular surface, the vibrations are easily trapped in the material. It's a pretty vague explanation, but


What sound does a guitar produced loud or soft?

soft


Sample picture of soft and loud sound?

loud sound- a dog barking soft sound- the turning of a book page


Why is sound not heard from a long distance?

Sound is a compressional wave , i.e , pressure. you do understand that pressure is F/A.Thus when A increases the pressure decreases. Now sound waves looks like a circle where its center is the origin of the sound and the circle gets bigger as we go further from its center this means that the area covered increases and the sound compressional waves ( pressure) decreases. Distance effects sound because sounds moves by bumping into other particles and momentum is lost every time they bump because it creates heat and so one


What happens to sound when it hits the boundary?

user-generated content: report abusefunction addAlternate(new_title,sameQ){ params = "new_title="+new_title+"&wpSave=1&similarQuestion=1&fromSuggest=1&title="+sameQ; AjaxToFunc("/wiki.phtml?action=editalternates","showThankYouMsg","POST",params); } function showThankYouMsg(str){ var msgText = $('msgText'); if(msgText!=null){ msgText.innerHTML="Thank you for helping to keep the Q&As in order!"; } } function sendCustomMetrics(dim1,dim2){ var cv = _hbEvent("cv"); _hbSet("cv.c16", dim1+"|"+dim2); _hbLink("SimilarQuestions"); }hi what is user-generated content: report abusefunction addAlternate(new_title,sameQ){ params = "new_title="+new_title+"&wpSave=1&similarQuestion=1&fromSuggest=1&title="+sameQ; AjaxToFunc("/wiki.phtml?action=editalternates","showThankYouMsg","POST",params); } function showThankYouMsg(str){ var msgText = $('msgText'); if(msgText!=null){ msgText.innerHTML="Thank you for helping to keep the Q&As in order!"; } } function sendCustomMetrics(dim1,dim2){ var cv = _hbEvent("cv"); _hbSet("cv.c16", dim1+"|"+dim2); _hbLink("SimilarQuestions"); }How do waves behave when they hit a boundary?

Related questions

Does a soft sound have tall waves?

No, a soft sound typically has low amplitude waves (shorter in height) compared to a loud sound that has high amplitude waves (taller in height). The amplitude of a sound wave is directly related to its volume or intensity.


Why use soft tiles for the ceiling of a recording studio?

Soft surfaces may dampen the reflection of sound waves, but soft tiles are not the only way to improve the sound performance of a surface. The shape of the surface, thickness of the material, and material type are all important.


What happens when sound hits a surface?

When sound hits a surface, it can be reflected, absorbed, or transmitted. The type of interaction depends on the material and texture of the surface. Sound waves can bounce off smooth surfaces like mirrors, be absorbed by soft materials like curtains, or pass through thin surfaces like paper.


What kind of waves make soft sound?

higher waves


What is a soft repitition of sound?

A soft repetition of sound is known as an echo. This occurs when sound waves bounce off a surface and return to the listener, creating the perception of a repeated sound. Echoes are commonly heard in large open spaces or mountainous environments.


How echo is formed?

An echo is formed by sound waves bouncing back off of solid surfaces. The greatest effect happens in small empty rooms with few or no soft furnishings. Soft furnishings absorb sound waves and so would counteract the effect.


Why does something that is soft absorb more sound than something that is hard?

Soft materials have a porous structure that allows sound waves to penetrate and get trapped inside, reducing the sound's ability to bounce or reflect. In contrast, hard materials reflect sound waves, causing them to bounce off surfaces and remain in the environment. This difference in how sound waves interact with soft and hard materials contributes to the soft material's better sound absorption properties.


How does soft material absorb sound vibrations?

Soft materials absorb sound vibrations by converting the acoustic energy into mechanical energy within the material itself. As sound waves travel through the material, their energy is dissipated as they cause the material to vibrate internally, reducing the amplitude of the sound waves. This process is facilitated by the ability of soft materials to deform and dampen the sound waves effectively.


How is sound reflected or absorbed?

Sound can be reflected when it hits a hard surface that does not absorb it, causing the sound waves to bounce off. This can result in echoes. Sound is absorbed when it is absorbed by soft materials or surfaces, causing the sound waves to lose energy and not bounce back. Materials like carpets, curtains, and acoustic foam are commonly used to absorb sound in rooms.


What type of object absorbs sound the best?

Soft and porous materials, such as acoustic foam panels or carpets, absorb sound the best. These materials work by trapping sound waves as they hit the surface, preventing them from bouncing off and creating echoes.


What surface absorbs sound the best?

Soft, porous materials like thick carpets, heavy drapes, and acoustic panels are effective at absorbing sound because they can dampen sound waves as they hit the surface. Additionally, materials with texture and irregular surfaces can help diffuse sound waves, reducing their ability to bounce back and create echoes.


How waves behave when they interact with objects?

When waves interact with objects, they can be reflected, absorbed, refracted, diffracted, or transmitted. The specific behavior depends on the type of wave and the properties of the object. For example, light waves can be reflected off a mirror, sound waves can be absorbed by a soft surface, and water waves can be diffracted around obstacles.