Yep, like a ball that bounces off the ground, sounds produced by humans, animals or inanimate objects also bounce, you know… It’s just that the appearance of the bouncing sound is intangible because sound doesn’t have a tangible form anyway. Grameds also need to know that sound is also a form of energy.
So, what are the various types of reflected sounds? Let’s look at the following review so that Grameds understands reflected sounds.
What is that sound?
Before discussing the various types of reflected sounds, we must first understand what sound is. Yep, that sound is the same as a voice. These sounds or noises can be produced by humans, animals, and even objects around us.
Based on the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), sound means something that is heard or heard by the human ear. If we make an illustration, the sound has a wave form. Well, as explained previously, sound is also a form of energy. Sound energy comes from vibrating objects, the propagating vibrations are called waves.
Sound is a longitudinal wave that propagates by compression and stretching, formed by intermediary substance particles (air molecules) and generated by a sound source that experiences vibrations. The sound that propagates will eventually reach the ear until it can finally be heard and understood by the brain.
Most sounds can be measured in Hertz (Hz) and sound loudness can be measured in decibels.
What is Sound Energy?
Sound energy is any ability that occurs as a result of the influence of sound. Even when we talk or walk, we will make sounds. Well, all these sounds are of course produced by a sound source.
Sound Source
Sound sources are objects that produce a sound, and there are many types because not all sounds are produced by just one source. An example is the guitar musical instrument, the sound source is the strings. Apart from that, the way a sound source works to produce a sound also varies.
Discussions about sound sources cannot be separated from resonance. Resonance is the vibration of an object due to another object, so that the resulting sound sounds louder and stronger. The existence of this resonance is usually exploited in musical activities, with a tool called a resonator.
Please note that the sound will sound strong or loud if our ears are close to the sound source. So, the sound produced will be strong, weak, shrill, or low pitched.
Based on the strength and weakness of the sound (frequency), the sound can be divided into 3 types, namely:
- Infrasound
Infrasound is a very weak sound with a number of sound vibrations of approximately less than 20 Hz per second. The human ear cannot hear this sound, only certain animals can hear it, for example dogs, cats, crickets, etc.
- Audiosonic
Audiosonics are a type of sound that has vibrations of around 20 to 20,000 Hz per second. With this size of vibration, of course the human ear can catch and hear it.
- Ultrasonic
Ultrasonic is a type of sound that has a very strong frequency, even above audiosonic. The number of sound vibrations is more than about 20,000 Hz per second. However, even though it has strong sound vibrations, the human ear cannot perceive and hear them. Only certain animals can hear it, for example dolphins and bats.
Various Types of Reflected Sounds
It is important to know that reflected sound is a sound that occurs because a sound wave hits a reflective area, then the sound wave is reflected back by the reflective area. There are several types of reflected sound, namely echo and echo.
1. Echo Sound
Echo sound is a type of reflected sound that sounds less clear, not even as clear as the original sound. This echo sound usually occurs because the reflected sound has mixed with the original sound.
Echoes usually occur at a distance between reflecting walls of around 10 to 20 meters, and occur inside buildings, for example concert halls, cinemas and meeting halls.
For example, you are watching a DAY6 concert, then the vocalist calls out the word “Run”, later due to the echo sound, you will hear the word “Run” with a pause. Here’s an illustration:
Original sound: la – ri
Reflection sound: la — ri
Sound heard: la ———— ri
2. Echo Sound
Echo sound is a type of reflected sound that is heard after the original sound. This means that the reflected sound will appear with a delay not too long after the original sound has been produced. This echo occurs because the sound source and the reflecting wall are a long distance away.
Different from echo sounds, these echo sounds occur in cliffs, caves, hillsides, and even football stadiums, namely those where the distance between the reflecting walls is more than 20 meters. For example, when you are in a cave, you shout the word ” Help “, then the reflected sound of the word ” Help ” will come out after the original sound disappears.
3. Amplify the Original Sound
The next type of reflected sound is one that amplifies the original sound. Different from the previous reflected sound, in this type the reflected sound actually strengthens the original sound, because the distance between the sound source and the reflecting wall is very close, so the time required for the sound to reflect back is also very short.
Therefore, this type of reflected sound will later be heard and perceived at the same time as the original sound, and the original sound can even sound louder. Usually this happens when you sing in the shower.
Whether the sound is strong or not depends on several factors, namely:
- Resonance
- Amplitude (maximum deviation of a wave that will affect the strength and weakness of the sound) of the sound source
- The distance between the sound source and the listener
- The distance between the listener and the reflecting wall
Benefits of Reflected Sound
- Can be used to measure sea depth, especially using ultrasonic sounds.
- To detect a fetus in the womb, infrasound is usually used.
- To detect damage to metal.
- There are speakers on radios, televisions and cellphones. Usually uses audiosonic sound.
- For searching for ships or metal treasures on the seabed.