If gravity and prisms can bend light, can air pressure and/or gravity bend sound? What would the result be?
2007-08-14 15:26:14 · 5 answers · asked by Mars 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Prisms refract light because the light moves more slowly through glass than through air.
Likewise, any boundary between two materials, one of which has a higher speed of sound than the other, will refract sound waves. Air pressure is not a factor in the speed of sound in a gas. However, temperature matters, and the speed of sound goes as sqrt(T).
So, a boundary between hot and cold air will refract sound waves just like a prism refracts light.
2007-08-14 15:35:00 · answer #1 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Certainly, if you're talking about sound in air. The gravity does not really bend the sound waves, but as the gravity affects the air pressure it affects the sound waves.
2007-08-14 22:43:47 · answer #2 · answered by William D 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Air pressure can bend sound waves while gravity does not.
2007-08-14 22:50:32 · answer #3 · answered by bashah1939 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes for air. A layer of air with a higher temperature and, therefore, sound speed can refract sound back down towards the earth. No for gravity; sound does not increase the time average density of air to a significant degree, so there is no (gravitational) bouyancy effect.
2007-08-14 22:29:38 · answer #4 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. The result would usually be distortion, but not always. Remember ventriloquists?
2007-08-14 22:52:35 · answer #5 · answered by Nothingusefullearnedinschool 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋