: Sound

Chapter 4
Science Reporting
Group 2
Diffraction
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Science Elissah Pabilona
Reporting Patrick Dela Cruz
Derek Cruz
Fritz Lagaran
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Contents:
- What is Diffraction?
- What is Sound Diffraction?
- What happens when sound waves pass
through a small hole?
(According to physics of sound
diffraction)
Sound
- Factors Affecting Sound Diffraction
- Examples of Sound Diffraction Diffraction
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∘ When waves bend and spread through an opening, or

Sound
around an obstacle, Describes the movement in a wave’s
direction as it bends around an obstacle.

∘ Occurs if a wave encounters an object and if the

Diffraction wavelength is of the same size (or greater than) the object
size.

∘ Changes the direction of travel of waves by encountering

sharp edges and physical obstructions.
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∘ When sound waves bend around small obstacles and

spread beyond small openings.

Sound ∘ Since sound waves have a far higher wavelength than

visible light waves in our everyday experience, there is
more diffraction of sound waves than of light waves.

Diffraction ∘ Allows us to hear sounds around corners and barriers.

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Sound Diffraction
When the hole is smaller than the
wavelength, then the wavefronts coming
out of the hole will be circular.
Diffraction happens with all kinds of waves,
including ocean waves, sound, and light.
What happens to sound waves when they travel through a
small hole?
Smaller holes cause waves to
diffract more. If the hole is small,
the waves coming through the hole
will spread out (diverge) again, as
if the hole were a point source of
waves
 Factors Affecting the Diffraction of
Sound Waves

Wavelength
Wavelength Size
Size of
ofAperture
Aperture
: The wavelength of an incident wave plays an important role in
: The sound wave diffracting off the aperture of
determining the magnitude of diffraction in a sound wave.
smaller size diffracts to a much larger extent as
compared to the aperture with a larger size.
> For the same aperture (hole) size, the sound wave having a
longer wavelength will be diffracted more (large angle of
It can be concluded that, the smaller the size of the
diffraction) and the sound wave having a shorter wavelength will
opening, the greater will be the effect of diffraction.
have a less diffraction capacity (less angle of diffraction).

Group 2
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- The ability of long-wavelength sound waves to diffract is utilized by a variety of forest-dwelling birds. For
example, owls can communicate over vast distances because their long-wavelength hoots may diffract around
forest trees and travel further than songbirds' short-wavelength tweets. High-pitched (short-wavelength) noises
never go as far as low-pitched (long-wavelength) ones.

Sound EXAMPLES Diffraction

- If music was playing in a room and you were outside an open door, you could still hear
because the sound would spread out from the small opening as if it were a localized
source of sound.
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Lightning
Another common example of diffraction is the contrast in sound from a close lightning strike and a distant one.
The thunder from a close bolt of lightning will be experienced as a sharp crack, indicating the presence of a lot
of high frequency sound.

Sound EXAMPLES Diffraction

Stereo
If a stereo is playing in a room with the door open, the sound produced by the stereo will
bend around the walls surrounding the opening.
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Sound Diffraction

Summary
Summary
: When sound waves bend around small obstacles and spread
beyond small openings

Factors Affecting Diffraction of Sound: Wavelength & Size of

Aperture
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1. Explain sound diffraction in your own words.

Q
Q&&
& 2. Give the (2) factors affecting diffraction of

A
A
sound.

3. Give an example of sound diffraction.

That is all.
Thank you!
Group 2