Why do multiple similar sounds put together become louder? Example: An audience clapping.

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Do the sound waves build up with each other somehow? Thank you!

In: Physics

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

You can look at sound like water for this case, if you wave your hand at the surface the displacement from your hand will make a wave that gets smaller as it travels, now if you wave your other hand right underneath it in the same manner it will build it up again, if you do another wave at the opposite direction of the first, the turbulence will be destructive and both waves will cancel each other.

In the case of people cheering they are all doing the same sound more or less so they are building it up.

Noise canceling headphones use the opposite thing, they will make destructive turbulence that cancels the ambient noise.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Yes, the sound waves build on each other. The more “waves,” the higher the sound.

Think of it as pushing someone on a swing. If you push them in the direction they’re already swinging, they’ll go higher.