Question

State two characteristics of the medium required for the propagation.

Answer 1

↵Dear Student,

All media have three properties which affect the behavior of sound propagation:

1. A relationship between density and pressure. This relationship, affected by temperature, determines the speed of sound within the medium.

2. The motion of the medium itself, e.g., wind. Independent of the motion of sound through the medium, if the medium is moving, the sound is further transported.

3. The viscosity of the medium. This determines the rate at which sound is attenuated. For many media, such as air or water, attenuation due to viscosity is negligible.