Basic Calculus of Accoustics

Back to the main page | Back to the Effects page |

# Basic Calculus
of
Accoustics

This is so terribly useful for so many things. You can use this stuff to calculate just how bad parallel walls are for sound, because of Standing Waves. What's that ? Coming attractions include exciting info on how to improve the accoustics of your room and what standing waves, bass traps and reflecting will do for your listening karma.

You may enjoy finding out that a $1000 subwoofer won't work in a small 3x3 meter room, 'cause the big energy bass action will happen beyond your walls. After all, the first energy peak happens at 1/4 of wavelength. Check it for yourself and get smart the next time you buy those 'gotta get buried with/under/in them' speakers.

This all happens in plain fresh air:

The speed of sound is 343 meters per second at 20 degrees Celcius

+/- 0.6 m/s for every degree Celcius more/less ( -> 340 m/s at 15 degrees Celcius)

c | = | lambda | * | f
speed of sound | = | wave length | * | frequency
x | = | (1000 / c ) | * | y
time [milliseconds] | = | time[ms] for one meter | * | distance [meters]

Examples (at 20 degrees Celcius -> c = 343 m/s):

distance [meters] | time [milliseconds]
0.34 | 1
3.43 | 10
6 | 18
10 | 29
50 | 188