Q+A: 6 Miscellaneous Sound Questions... Part 1

Compilation of general and random questions...

1. What does 94.1 mean on a radio dial?

This mean the station is emitting at 94.1 million Hertz or 94,100,000 waves per second.

2. If sound becomes louder, what wave characteristics increase? frequency, wavelength, amplitude or speed?

Only amplitude.

3. How much bigger is a sound at 40dB compared to 0dB? 

10,000 times.

4. How much bigger is a sound at 110dB compared to 50dB?

1,000,000 times.

5. What does supersonic mean? 

Faster than the speed of sound

6. General speeds according to (this site)

WATER:
Distilled water = 1489 m/sec
Sea Water = 1531 m/sec (higher because it is denser)
WOOD:
Ash, along the fiber = 4670 m/sec
Ash, across the rings = 1390 m/sec, about 3 times slower, and a little slower
than the speed of water!
Beech, along the fiber = 3340 m/sec
Elm, along the fiber = 4120 m/sec
Maple, along the fiber = 4110 m/sec
Oak, along the fiber = 3950 m/sec.


Thanks,


Matt Price