Acoustics of Concert Halls and Rooms

SOUND WAVES
AND SOUND
FIELDS

Principles of Sound and Vibration, Chapter 6

Science of Sound, Chapter 6

THE ACOUSTIC WAVE EQUATION

The acoustic wave equation is generally derived by
considering an ideal fluid (a mathematical fiction).
Its motion is described by the Euler equation of motion.
In a real fluid (with viscosity), the Euler equation is
Replaced by the Navier-Stokes equation.
Two different notations are used to derive the Acoustic wave
equation:
1. The LaGrange description
We follow a particle of fluid as it is compressed as well as
displaced by an acoustic wave.)
2. The Euler description
(Fixed coordinates; p and c are functions of x and t.
They describe different portions of the fluid as it streams
past.

PLANE SOUND WAVES

Plane Sound Waves

SPHERICAL WAVES

We can simplify matters even further by writing p = /r, giving

(a one dimensional wave equation)

Spherical waves:
The solution is an outgoing plus an incoming wave

outgoing

incoming

Particle (acoustic) velocity:

Impedance:
c at kr >> 1

Similar to:

2/t2 = -p/x

SOUND PRESSURE, POWER AND LOUDNESS

Decibels
Decibel difference between two power levels:
L = L2 L1 = 10 log W2/W1
Sound Power Level: Lw = 10 log W/W0
(or PWL)

W0 = 10-12 W

Sound Intensity Level: LI = 10 log I/I0

(or SIL)

I0 = 10-12 W/m2

FREE FIELD
I = W/4r2

at r = 1 m:
LI = 10 log I/10-12
= 10 log W/10-12 10 log 4
= LW - 11

HEMISPHERICAL
FIELD
I = W/2r2

at r = l m
LI = LW - 8

Note that the intensity I

1/r2 for both free and
hemispherical fields;
therefore, L decreases 6 dB for each doubling of distance

SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL

Our ears respond to extremely small pressure
fluctuations p
Intensity of a sound wave is proportional to the sound
Pressure squared:

c 400
I = p2 /c

= density
c = speed of sound

We define sound pressure level:

Lp = 20 log p/p0
(or SPL)

p0 = 2 x 10-5 Pa (or N/m2)

TYPICAL SOUND LEVELS

MULTIPLE SOURCES

Example:Two
uncorrelated
sources of 80
dB each will
produce a
sound level of
83dB
(Not 160 dB)

MULTIPLE SOURCES
What we really want to add are mean-square
average pressures (average values of p 2)
This is equivalent to adding intensities
Example: 3 sources of 50 dB each
Lp = 10 log [(P12+P22+P32)/P02] = 10 log (I1 + I2 + I3)/ I0)
= 10 log I1/I0 + 10 log 3 = 50 + 4.8 = 54.8 dB

SOUND PRESSURE and INTENSITY

Sound pressure level is measured with a sound level meter (SLM)
Sound intensity level is more difficult to measure, and it requires
more than one microphone
In a free field, however, LI LP