ELI5, If sound can be interpreted as mechanical waves, can conduction be assumed to be a form of sound propagation?

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Firstly, assuming constant temperature and pressure. The speed of a sound wave in a medium is constant. For any wave, the speed of wave propagation is wavelength times frequency. If we keep increasing the frequency of sound to a ridiculously high value so that the corresponding wavelength is in the order of micro-meters. Would the resulting wave be considered a sound wave or a heat conduction?

Essentially the resulting wave is just vibrating the molecules mechanically instead of electromagnetically (think IR waves) with a similar wavelength.

If someone could make me picture/visualise the answer that would be great because I tend to be a visual learner. Thanks!

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Anonymous 0 Comments

> Would the resulting wave be considered a sound wave or a heat conduction?

When the frequency increases the material will more and more absorb the sound, transforming it into heat. This is used in [ultrasonic welding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrasonic_welding).

So there’s no “wave” anymore.

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