Do sound waves generate heat?

Question

Just thinking, would it be possible to melt an ice cube by using concentrated waves of sound?

Answer 1

Well, I know you can shatter glass from certain vibration of sound, so it follows that vibrations could move the molecules fast enough to melt items - but i don't know that it would be a pitch that was ascertained by the human ear.

Answer 2

Yes because sound waves are vibrations and setting the right frequency would cause a harmonic oscillation within the ice generating heat and so melt.

Answer 3

Good question. But I think, on my opinion, it does not. To create heat, must need physical contractions like solid to solid with LARGE body surface area (ex: tree braches—creates fire). Sound waves have non-physical characteristics, but if there is it’s very small and produces minimal and inefficient way to create such heat. Therefore sound waves could be plausible to create heat but not fire.

Answer 4

Yes, sound is air molecules moving in waves, transmitting energy, but it would be very expensive and inefficient.

Answer 5

sound waves can generate heat if the resonance and pitch are tuned to do so

Answer 6

PROBABLY not.