In the first video entitled Acoustics 101, I learned about the basics of acoustics.

Categories of
sound, properties of sound, real-life problems, and their respective design errors and solutions. Categories
of sound such as room acoustics, sound isolation, background noise, and amplification. Room acoustics
are sound in the context of a room, it is the sound originating from internally. While sound isolation is
sounds that propagate from one space to the next, or sounds coming from externally. Background noise
deals with the sound coming from heating, ventilation, air-conditioning systems, or mechanical systems in
general. Moreover, I’d say that the most prominent concept that I learned in this portion is that sounds may
have the same level of sound power or intensity, but what matters is the context in which the sound is
propagated. For example, a rattling sound coming from an HVAC unit may be masked by the rustling of
trees or by children screaming in the context of a playground, hence will go unnoticed, but in a library
setting, it will surely be disruptive for the readers. As the speaker said, loudness relative to the background
noise is what matters. After discussing the categories of sound, Ben Markham – the speaker, proceeded to
explain briefly the properties of sound: amplitude, frequency, propagation, are some properties that come to
mind. Amplitude refers to sound pressure or sound power. It deals with how loud a sound is. There are
corresponding thirteen (13) orders of magnitude to measure the loudness of a sound; Decibel is used as a
unit of measure. Next, frequency is explained as soundwaves that go by in a second which is measured in
Hertz. Furthermore, the concept of propagation was also discussed. My main takeaway here is the
difference between the drop-off(propagation) of a linear and a spherical source. As the example goes, a
highway will only have a three (3) decibels drop-off per doubling of distance, compared to a spherical
source that has six (6) decibels drop-off per doubling of distance. This is due to the nature of how
soundwaves propagate. Naturally, a linear source will have fewer impediments and will have more energy
which means particles will easily vibrate hence the sound will be more audible. This is the exact opposite
for a spherical source. The discussion wrapped up real-life problems on acoustics that cause unwanted
noise like high airflow, fan noise, and vibrating equipment. More importantly, the solution for the said
problems was explored. It involved the use of large ducts to alleviate high airflow velocities; the use of
sound attenuators and mufflers to solve fan noise; and vibration isolation by using springs to create floated
floors. Generally, there are three guiding principles for acoustic treatment: mass, separation, and insulation.
These are key to lessening room reverberation. Some materials that help with this are panels, double-stud
walls, floated floors, fiberglass, and many more.
For the second video entitled Architectural Acoustics for Interior and Design , much like the first
video, it introduced the basic concepts of sound. It dabbled a little bit on the history of acoustics which
came from the Greek word akoustikós. It was hinted that the Greeks somewhat understood the concept of
diffusion and absorption of sound. It is evident in their early architecture – the amphitheater. They used
rocks that absorb low frequency sounds for acoustic treatment. Moreover, the video delved more on why
acoustics is necessary and improper planning may harm the overall experience of users. A statistic was
given to uphold this claim, it was stated that 70% of children in a classroom cannot hear the consonants the
teacher is pronouncing which compels teachers to speak louder; and because this, teachers experience
voice damage two days per school year. Further, I learned that it is important to account the previous
function of a building prior to renovation i.e. from a church to an office. This is because of the difference in
acoustical treatment, specifically reverberation, in both building type. A church is designed for gatherings
worship and religious activies, while an office needs a quieter environment with little to no reverberation.
Lastly, I learned about materials and solutions like reflectors when a classroom is too deep to amplify the
sound; using furnitures like cabinets in between spaces for sound absorption; using baffles in the ceiling as
sound treatment.