ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS

ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS
SOUND POWER
IT IS THE TOTAL ACOUSTICAL ENERGY CREATED
BY THE SOUND SOURCE, IT IS INDEPENDENT OF
LISTENING DISTANCE.
SOUND POWER OR ACOUSTIC POWER IS THE RATE
AT WHICH SOUND ENERGY IS EMITTED,
REFLECTED, TRANSMITTED OR RECEIVED, PER
UNIT TIME.
THE SI UNIT OF SOUND POWER IS THE WATT (W)
IT RELATES TO THE POWER OF THE SOUND FORCE
ON A SURFACE ENCLOSING A SOUND SOURCE, IN
AIR.
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SOUND PRESSURE IS A PROPERTY OF THE FIELD AT A
POINT IN SPACE, WHILE SOUND POWER IS A PROPERTY
OF A SOUND SOURCE, EQUAL TO THE TOTAL POWER
EMITTED BY THAT SOURCE IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
SOUND PRESSURE
FORCE PER UNIT AREA, DICREASES IN PROPORTIONAL
OF THE LISTENING DISTANCE
SOUND PRESSURE OR ACOUSTIC PRESSURE IS THE
LOCAL PRESSURE DEVIATION FROM THE AMBIENT
(AVERAGE OR EQUILIBRIUM) ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE,
CAUSED BY A SOUND WAVE. IN AIR, SOUND PRESSURE
CAN BE MEASURED USING A MICROPHONE, AND IN
WATER WITH A HYDROPHONE. THE SI UNIT OF SOUND
PRESSURE IS THE PASCAL (PA)
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SOUND INTENSITY
ACOUSTICAL ENERGY PER UNIT AREA, IT DECREASES
PROPORTIONAL TO THE INVERSE SQUARE OF
LISTENING DISTANCE.
SOUND INTENSITY, ALSO KNOWN AS ACOUSTIC
INTENSITY, IS DEFINED AS THE POWER CARRIED BY
SOUND WAVES PER UNIT AREA IN A DIRECTION
PERPENDICULAR TO THAT AREA. THE SI UNIT OF
INTENSITY, WHICH INCLUDES SOUND INTENSITY, IS
THE WATT PER SQUARE METER (W/M2).
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WHAT IS LOUDNESS OF SOUND? WHAT FACTORS DOES
IT DEPEND ON?
Answer:
THE LOUDNESS OF SOUND IS A PHENOMENON OF A
SOUND DEPENDING ON THE AMPLITUDE OF THE
SOUND WAVE. IF THE AMPLITUDE OF THE SOUND WAVE
IS LARGE, THEN THE SOUND IS SAID TO BE LOUD. THE
LOUDNESS OF SOUND IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO
THE SQUARE OF THE AMPLITUDE OF VIBRATION AND IT
IS EXPRESSED IN DECIBEL (DB). SOUNDS ABOVE 80 DB
BECOMES NOISE TO HUMAN EARS.
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We measure sound intensity (also referred to as
sound power or sound pressure) in units called
DECIBELS. Decibels (dB) are named in honor of
Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of both the
telephone and the audiometer.
PHON. A unit used to describe the LOUDNESS LEVEL
of a given sound or noise.
The unit phon is used to indicate an individual’s
perception of loudness. By definition, 1
phon is equivalent to 1 deciBel at 1000 Hz (1 kHz).
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HOW WE HEAR?
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Sound waves are classified in 3 types.
1. Infrasound (f<20 Hz)
2. Audible sound (20 Hz<f<20 kHz)
3. Ultrasound (f>20 kHz)