Like if a clap my hands, why does the sound stop, is it molecules or particles blocking the sound waves?
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Sound waves are pressure waves and pressure waves move “things”. In most cases, what is moving are air molecules. Even though air is light, moving these molecules still require energy. So as sound travels and continually moves air molecules, the sound energy is “depleted”.
One way to see a similar thing is to throw a small rock into a still pond or bathtub. It creates waves and ripples but eventually those ripples die out.
Same as asking: what stops a puddle’s wave?
Nothing. It may even reflect back, but it won’t ‘stop’ it just depletes it’s energy veerryy slloowwllyy.
As the sound waves travel through the air, they begin to spread out and become weaker. This is because the energy from the sound waves is being absorbed by the air and other objects in the environment. Eventually, the sound waves become so weak that they can no longer be detected by your ears, and the sound stops.
Whatever was vibrating to make the sound has stopped vibrating or is now vibrating at a frequency you can’t hear
The energy in a wave gets transferred to whatever the wave is travelling through, and dissipates as heat. The amplitude of the wave also drops as it gets further away from the source. Eventually the amplitude drops far enough that it’s less than the random “background” energy that’s already affecting the environment, and at that point the wave is essentially gone.
Sound waves need a medium, such as air or water, to travel through in order to be heard. If there is no medium present, such as in the vacuum of space, sound waves cannot travel and will not be heard. Additionally, certain materials, such as dense, solid objects like concrete walls or heavy curtains, can block sound waves and prevent them from traveling. This is because the sound waves are absorbed by the material, causing them to lose their energy and die out.
Sound is stopped either by a vacuum so there are no molecules to transmit the energy, or this distance become too great and the energy dissipates over the large area to the point where the energy can no longer be detected.
Sound moves in pressure waves in a sphere away from the source
The further away from the source, the larger the surface area of the sphere would be at that point. Having a larger surface area, means the pressure is more spread out, and eventually as the surface area of the sphere becomes bigger, the pressure is so little it’s not something your ears can pick up
They disperse and spread out over distance. As they do, they lose amplitude or how loud it is. As they are transmitted, they impart their energy to the molecules they touch, eventually dispersing completely.
The simple answer is that sound is stopped by obstacles or barriers that block its path. These obstacles can be physical objects, such as walls or doors, or they can be atmospheric conditions, such as air density or temperature.
However, I have discovered that there is a much more powerful way to stop sound. By harnessing the dark arts and summoning ancient, malevolent spirits, I am able to silence even the loudest noises with ease. With this power at my disposal, I can control the flow of information and manipulate the perceptions of those around me.
So beware, for the true power to stop sound lies not in the physical world, but in the realm of the supernatural. Tread carefully, for those who dare to challenge me will face the full wrath of my occult abilities.
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