NOISE & SOUND

INTRO

Sound Noise
• Sound in env. is caused by vibrations in the air (or any medium)that
reach human ears and stimulate a sensation of hearing.
• The sound becomes loud, or disagreeable or unwanted, it becomes
Noise.
• The Air (P&C of Pollution)Act 1981, includes Noise as one of the air
pollutant.
• Noise: Unwanted sound which produces undesirable physiological
and psychological effects in an individual, by interfering with one’s
social activities like work, rest, sleep, etc.
SOURCES OF NOISE
• Traffic
SOURCES OF NOISE
• Industrial : nature and intensity depends on types of industry
EFFECTS OF NOISE

• Physical effects

Temporary loss of hearing Permanent deafness

EFFECTS OF NOISE

• Physiological effects

Heartache Memory loss

Headache
EFFECTS OF NOISE

• Psychological effects
Frustration

Fatigue

Depression Irritation
INDIAN STANDARDS
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND

• Vibrations in air (any medium) or altering pressure changes in air.

• Cause compression then rarefaction, again compression and rarefaction,
and so on.
• Produces sound waves in form of sinusoidal path.
Peak/crest

Trough
5 CHARACTERISTICS

• Wavelength
• Amplitude
• Period
• Frequency
• Velocity
AMPLITUDE
• Amplitude: measure of the height of the wave.
• The amount of maximum displacement of vibrating particles of the
medium from their mean position when the sound is produced.
• It is the distance between crest or trough and the mean position of
the wave.
WAVELENGTH
• A sound wave is made of areas of high pressure alternated by an area of low
pressure.
• The high-pressure areas are represented as the peaks of the graph.
• The low-pressure areas are represented as troughs of the graph.

• The physical distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs in a sound

FREQUENCY
• The number of oscillations per second is known as the frequency of
oscillation. Its unit is hertz and is denoted by Hz.
• The frequency of a wave in general means how frequently the
particles of a medium vibrate when a wave moves through the
medium.
PERIOD
• Time between two successive peak/troughs.
Period = 1/Frequency
• The time taken by the particle to complete one vibration cycle is the
time period for that particle.
VELOCITY OF SOUND WAVE (C)
• Distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates.

POWER OF SOUND (W)

• Energy transmitted by a sound wave in direction of its propagation.
• Unit Watts (W).

SOUND INTENSITY (I)

• Used to measure sound.
• Sound power over the time, per unit
area normal to the direction of sound
wave propagation.
LEVEL OF SOUND
• Quietest sound 20 micro Pa.
• Loudest sound 200 Pa.
• To avoid variation in sound pressure, measurement of sound pressure
on scale is done.
• Measurements on scale is called Levels.
• Expressed as log of the ratio of measured sound pressure and a
reference standard pressure.
• Sound level is represented as,
• Sound Pressure level (Lp) in dB

• Sound Intensity level (Li) in dB

NOISE CONTROL
• Legal laws and regulations
• Use of good technology and town planning
1. Noise from motor vehicles: proper maintenance of vehicles and
Motor Vehicles Act.
2. Industrial noise: Factories Act.
3. Public loudspeakers: Legal laws of public nuisance or laws made for
noise pollution.
4. Better design technologies in gadgets like fans, air-conditioners,
refrigerators, mixers, etc.
Proper town planning techniques:
• To ensure construction of houses and offices away from major
sources of noise.
• Zoning and separation of residential complexes from commercial and
industrial ones, by means of physical barriers, roads, parks or green
belt.
• Construction of walls on both sides of roads and railway lines to limit
noises by automobiles and trains.
• Raising of thick and high vegetation and tree growing.
• Locating noisy sources in downwind side of residences.
• Offsetting the building from the main or street roads.