Acoustics is a branch of
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
that deals with the study of
mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as
vibration
Vibration () is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. Vibration may be deterministic if the oscillations can be characterised precisely (e.g. the periodic motion of a pendulum), or random if the os ...
,
sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...
,
ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound with frequency, frequencies greater than 20 Hertz, kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible hearing range, limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply ...
and
infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics technology may be called an
acoustical engineer. The application of acoustics is present in almost all aspects of modern society with the most obvious being the audio and
noise control
Noise control or noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce noise pollution or to reduce the impact of that noise, whether outdoors or indoors.
Overview
The main areas of noise mitigation or abatement are: transportation noise control, a ...
industries.
Hearing is one of the most crucial means of survival in the animal world and
speech
Speech is the use of the human voice as a medium for language. Spoken language combines vowel and consonant sounds to form units of meaning like words, which belong to a language's lexicon. There are many different intentional speech acts, suc ...
is one of the most distinctive characteristics of human development and culture. Accordingly, the science of acoustics spreads across many facets of human society—music, medicine, architecture, industrial production, warfare and more. Likewise, animal species such as songbirds and frogs use sound and hearing as a key element of mating rituals or for marking territories. Art, craft, science and technology have provoked one another to advance the whole, as in many other fields of knowledge.
Robert Bruce Lindsay's "Wheel of Acoustics" is a well-accepted overview of the various fields in acoustics.
History
Etymology
The word "acoustic" is derived from the
Greek word ἀκουστικός (''akoustikos''), meaning "of or for hearing, ready to hear" and that from ἀκουστός (''akoustos''), "heard, audible", which in turn derives from the verb ἀκούω(''akouo''), "I hear".
The Latin synonym is "sonic", after which the term sonics used to be a synonym for acoustics
and later a branch of acoustics.
Frequencies above and below the
audible range are called "
ultrasonic" and "
infrasonic", respectively.
Early research in acoustics
In the 6th century BC, the ancient Greek philosopher
Pythagoras wanted to know why some
combinations of musical sounds seemed more beautiful than others, and he found answers in terms of numerical ratios representing the
harmonic overtone series on a string. He is reputed to have observed that when the lengths of vibrating strings are expressible as ratios of integers (e.g. 2 to 3, 3 to 4), the tones produced will be harmonious, and the smaller the integers the more harmonious the sounds. For example, a string of a certain length would sound particularly harmonious with a string of twice the length (other factors being equal). In modern parlance, if a string sounds the note C when plucked, a string twice as long will sound a C an octave lower. In one system of
musical tuning, the tones in between are then given by 16:9 for D, 8:5 for E, 3:2 for F, 4:3 for G, 6:5 for A, and 16:15 for B, in ascending order.
Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
(384–322 BC) understood that sound consisted of compressions and rarefactions of air which "falls upon and strikes the air which is next to it...", a very good expression of the nature of
wave
In physics, mathematics, engineering, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from List of types of equilibrium, equilibrium) of one or more quantities. ''Periodic waves'' oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium ...
motion. ''
On Things Heard'', generally ascribed to
Strato of Lampsacus, states that the pitch is related to the frequency of vibrations of the air and to the speed of sound.
In about 20 BC, the Roman architect and engineer
Vitruvius wrote a treatise on the acoustic properties of theaters including discussion of interference, echoes, and reverberation—the beginnings of
architectural acoustics
Architectural acoustics (also known as building acoustics) is the science and engineering of achieving a good sound within a building and is a branch of acoustical engineering. The first application of modern scientific methods to architectur ...
. In Book V of his (''The Ten Books of Architecture'') Vitruvius describes sound as a wave comparable to a water wave extended to three dimensions, which, when interrupted by obstructions, would flow back and break up following waves. He described the ascending seats in ancient theaters as designed to prevent this deterioration of sound and also recommended bronze vessels (echea) of appropriate sizes be placed in theaters to resonate with the fourth, fifth and so on, up to the double octave, in order to resonate with the more desirable, harmonious notes.
During the
Islamic golden age
The Islamic Golden Age was a period of scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing in the history of Islam, traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century.
This period is traditionally understood to have begun during the reign o ...
, Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī (973–1048) is believed to have postulated that the speed of sound was much slower than the speed of light.

The physical understanding of acoustical processes advanced rapidly during and after the
Scientific Revolution
The Scientific Revolution was a series of events that marked the emergence of History of science, modern science during the early modern period, when developments in History of mathematics#Mathematics during the Scientific Revolution, mathemati ...
. Mainly
Galileo Galilei
Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...
(1564–1642) but also
Marin Mersenne (1588–1648), independently, discovered the complete
laws of vibrating strings (completing what Pythagoras and Pythagoreans had started 2000 years earlier). Galileo wrote "Waves are produced by the
vibration
Vibration () is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. Vibration may be deterministic if the oscillations can be characterised precisely (e.g. the periodic motion of a pendulum), or random if the os ...
s of a sonorous body, which spread through the air, bringing to the tympanum of the
ear a stimulus which the mind interprets as sound", a remarkable statement that points to the beginnings of physiological and psychological acoustics. Experimental measurements of the
speed of sound in air were carried out successfully between 1630 and 1680 by a number of investigators, prominently Mersenne. Inspired by Mersenne's ''Harmonie universelle'' (''Universal Harmony'') or 1634, the Rome-based Jesuit scholar
Athanasius Kircher undertook research in acoustics. Kircher published two major books on acoustics: the ''
Musurgia universalis'' (''Universal Music-Making'') in 1650 and the ''
Phonurgia nova'' (''New Sound-Making'') in 1673. Meanwhile,
Newton (1642–1727) derived the relationship for wave velocity in solids, a cornerstone of
physical acoustics (
Principia, 1687).
Age of Enlightenment and onward
Substantial progress in acoustics, resting on firmer mathematical and physical concepts, was made during the eighteenth century by
Euler (1707–1783),
Lagrange
Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi Lagrangia[d'Alembert
Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert ( ; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanics, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''E ...](_blank)
(1717–1783). During this era, continuum physics, or field theory, began to receive a definite mathematical structure. The wave equation emerged in a number of contexts, including the propagation of sound in air.
In the nineteenth century the major figures of mathematical acoustics were
Helmholtz in Germany, who consolidated the field of physiological acoustics, and
Lord Rayleigh in England, who combined the previous knowledge with his own copious contributions to the field in his monumental work ''The Theory of Sound'' (1877). Also in the 19th century, Wheatstone, Ohm, and Henry developed the analogy between electricity and acoustics.
The twentieth century saw a burgeoning of technological applications of the large body of scientific knowledge that was by then in place. The first such application was
Sabine
The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome.
The Sabines divided int ...
's groundbreaking work in architectural acoustics, and many others followed. Underwater acoustics was used for detecting submarines in the first World War.
Sound recording
Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, Mechanical system, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of ...
and the telephone played important roles in a global transformation of society. Sound measurement and analysis reached new levels of accuracy and sophistication through the use of electronics and computing. The ultrasonic frequency range enabled wholly new kinds of application in medicine and industry. New kinds of transducers (generators and receivers of acoustic energy) were invented and put to use.
Definition
Acoustics is defined by
ANSI/ASA S1.1-2013 as "(a) Science of
sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...
, including its production, transmission, and effects, including biological and psychological effects. (b) Those qualities of a room that, together, determine its character with respect to auditory effects."
The study of acoustics revolves around the generation, propagation and reception of mechanical waves and vibrations.
::

The steps shown in the above diagram can be found in any acoustical event or process. There are many kinds of cause, both natural and volitional. There are many kinds of transduction process that convert energy from some other form into sonic energy, producing a sound wave. There is one fundamental equation that describes sound wave propagation, the
acoustic wave equation, but the phenomena that emerge from it are varied and often complex. The wave carries energy throughout the propagating medium. Eventually this energy is transduced again into other forms, in ways that again may be natural and/or volitionally contrived. The final effect may be purely physical or it may reach far into the biological or volitional domains. The five basic steps are found equally well whether we are talking about an
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
, a submarine using sonar to locate its foe, or a band playing in a rock concert.
The central stage in the acoustical process is wave propagation. This falls within the domain of physical acoustics. In
fluid
In physics, a fluid is a liquid, gas, or other material that may continuously motion, move and Deformation (physics), deform (''flow'') under an applied shear stress, or external force. They have zero shear modulus, or, in simpler terms, are M ...
s, sound propagates primarily as a
pressure wave. In solids, mechanical waves can take many forms including
longitudinal waves,
transverse waves and
surface waves.
Acoustics looks first at the pressure levels and frequencies in the sound wave and how the wave interacts with the environment. This interaction can be described as either a
diffraction
Diffraction is the deviation of waves from straight-line propagation without any change in their energy due to an obstacle or through an aperture. The diffracting object or aperture effectively becomes a secondary source of the Wave propagation ...
,
interference or a
reflection or a mix of the three. If several
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Interactive media, media that is inter ...
are present, a
refraction
In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one transmission medium, medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commo ...
can also occur. Transduction processes are also of special importance to acoustics.
Fundamental concepts
Wave propagation: pressure levels
In fluids such as air and water, sound waves propagate as disturbances in the ambient pressure level. While this disturbance is usually small, it is still noticeable to the human ear. The smallest sound that a person can hear, known as the
threshold of hearing, is nine orders of magnitude smaller than the ambient pressure. The
loudness of these disturbances is related to the
sound pressure level (SPL) which is measured on a logarithmic scale in decibels.
Wave propagation: frequency
Physicists and acoustic engineers tend to discuss sound pressure levels in terms of frequencies, partly because this is how our
ears interpret sound. What we experience as "higher pitched" or "lower pitched" sounds are pressure vibrations having a higher or lower number of cycles per second. In a common technique of acoustic measurement, acoustic signals are sampled in time, and then presented in more meaningful forms such as octave bands or time frequency plots. Both of these popular methods are used to analyze sound and better understand the acoustic phenomenon.
The entire spectrum can be divided into three sections: audio, ultrasonic, and infrasonic. The audio range falls between 20
Hz and 20,000 Hz. This range is important because its frequencies can be detected by the human ear. This range has a number of applications, including speech communication and music. The ultrasonic range refers to the very high frequencies: 20,000 Hz and higher. This range has shorter wavelengths which allow better resolution in imaging technologies. Medical applications such as
ultrasonography and elastography rely on the ultrasonic frequency range. On the other end of the spectrum, the lowest frequencies are known as the infrasonic range. These frequencies can be used to study geological phenomena such as earthquakes.
Analytic instruments such as the
spectrum analyzer facilitate visualization and measurement of acoustic signals and their properties. The
spectrogram
A spectrogram is a visual representation of the spectrum of frequencies of a signal as it varies with time.
When applied to an audio signal, spectrograms are sometimes called sonographs, voiceprints, or voicegrams. When the data are represen ...
produced by such an instrument is a graphical display of the time varying pressure level and frequency profiles which give a specific acoustic signal its defining character.
Transduction in acoustics
A
transducer
A transducer is a device that Energy transformation, converts energy from one form to another. Usually a transducer converts a signal in one form of energy to a signal in another.
Transducers are often employed at the boundaries of automation, M ...
is a device for converting one form of energy into another. In an electroacoustic context, this means converting sound energy into electrical energy (or vice versa). Electroacoustic transducers include
loudspeakers,
microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...
s,
particle velocity sensors,
hydrophones and
sonar projectors. These devices convert a sound wave to or from an electric signal. The most widely used transduction principles are
electromagnetism
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is the dominant force in the interacti ...
,
electrostatics
Electrostatics is a branch of physics that studies slow-moving or stationary electric charges.
Since classical antiquity, classical times, it has been known that some materials, such as amber, attract lightweight particles after triboelectric e ...
and
piezoelectricity.
The transducers in most common loudspeakers (e.g.
woofers and
tweeters), are electromagnetic devices that generate waves using a suspended diaphragm driven by an electromagnetic
voice coil, sending off pressure waves.
Electret microphones and
condenser microphones employ electrostatics—as the sound wave strikes the microphone's diaphragm, it moves and induces a voltage change. The ultrasonic systems used in medical ultrasonography employ piezoelectric transducers. These are made from special ceramics in which mechanical vibrations and electrical fields are interlinked through a property of the material itself.
Acoustician
An acoustician is an expert in the science of sound.
Education
There are many types of acoustician, but they usually have a
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
or higher qualification. Some possess a degree in acoustics, while others enter the discipline via studies in fields such as
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
or
engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
. Much work in acoustics requires a good grounding in
Mathematics
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
and
science
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
. Many acoustic scientists work in research and development. Some conduct basic research to advance our knowledge of the perception (e.g.
hearing,
psychoacoustics or
neurophysiology) of
speech
Speech is the use of the human voice as a medium for language. Spoken language combines vowel and consonant sounds to form units of meaning like words, which belong to a language's lexicon. There are many different intentional speech acts, suc ...
,
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
and
noise
Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...
. Other acoustic scientists advance understanding of how sound is affected as it moves through environments, e.g.
underwater acoustics, architectural acoustics or
structural acoustics. Other areas of work are listed under subdisciplines below. Acoustic scientists work in government, university and private industry laboratories. Many go on to work in
Acoustical Engineering. Some positions, such as
Faculty (academic staff)
Academic staff, also known as faculty (in North American usage) or academics (in British, Australia, and New Zealand usage), are vague terms that describe teachers or research staff of a school, college, university or research institute.
In Brit ...
require a
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
.
Subdisciplines
Archaeoacoustics
Archaeoacoustics, also known as the archaeology of sound, is one of the only ways to experience the past with senses other than our eyes.
Archaeoacoustics is studied by testing the acoustic properties of prehistoric sites, including caves. Iegor Rezkinoff, a sound archaeologist, studies the acoustic properties of caves through natural sounds like humming and whistling.
Archaeological theories of acoustics are focused around ritualistic purposes as well as a way of echolocation in the caves. In archaeology, acoustic sounds and rituals directly correlate as specific sounds were meant to bring ritual participants closer to a spiritual awakening.
Parallels can also be drawn between cave wall paintings and the acoustic properties of the cave; they are both dynamic.
Because archaeoacoustics is a fairly new archaeological subject, acoustic sound is still being tested in these prehistoric sites today.
Aeroacoustics
Aeroacoustics is the study of noise generated by air movement, for instance via turbulence, and the movement of sound through the fluid air. This knowledge was applied in the 1920s and '30s to detect aircraft before
radar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
was invented and is applied in
acoustical engineering to study how to quieten
aircraft
An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...
. Aeroacoustics is important for understanding how wind
musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make Music, musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person ...
s work.
Acoustic signal processing
Acoustic signal processing is the electronic manipulation of acoustic signals. Applications include:
active noise control; design for
hearing aids or
cochlear implant
A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted Neuroprosthetics, neuroprosthesis that provides a person who has moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with sound perception. With the help of therapy, cochlear implants may allow for imp ...
s;
echo cancellation;
music information retrieval, and perceptual coding (e.g.
MP3 or
Opus).
Architectural acoustics
Architectural acoustics (also known as building acoustics) involves the scientific understanding of how to achieve good sound within a building. It typically involves the study of speech intelligibility, speech privacy, music quality, and vibration reduction in the built environment. Commonly studied environments are hospitals, classrooms, dwellings, performance venues, recording and broadcasting studios. Focus considerations include room acoustics, airborne and impact transmission in building structures, airborne and structure-borne noise control, noise control of building systems and electroacoustic systems.
Bioacoustics
Bioacoustics
Bioacoustics is a cross-disciplinary science that combines biology and acoustics. Usually it refers to the investigation of sound production, dispersion and reception in animals (including humans). This involves neurophysiology, neurophysiological ...
is the scientific study of the hearing and calls of animal calls, as well as how animals are affected by the acoustic and sounds of their habitat.
Electroacoustics
This subdiscipline is concerned with the recording, manipulation and reproduction of audio using electronics. This might include products such as
mobile phone
A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...
s, large scale
public address
A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...
systems or
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
systems in research laboratories.
Environmental noise and soundscapes
Environmental acoustics is the study of noise and vibrations, and their impact on structures, objects, humans, and animals.
The main aim of these studies is to reduce levels of environmental noise and vibration. Typical work and research within environmental acoustics concerns the development of models used in simulations, measurement techniques, noise mitigation strategies, and the development of standards and regulations. Research work now also has a focus on the positive use of sound in urban environments:
soundscapes and
tranquility.
Examples of noise and vibration sources include railways, road traffic, aircraft, industrial equipment and recreational activities.
Musical acoustics

Musical acoustics is the study of the physics of acoustic instruments; the
audio signal processing used in electronic music; the computer analysis of music and composition, and the perception and
cognitive neuroscience of music.
Psychoacoustics
Many studies have been conducted to identify the relationship between acoustics and
cognition
Cognition is the "mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes such as: perception, attention, thought, ...
, or more commonly known as
psychoacoustics, in which what one hears is a combination of perception and biological aspects. The information intercepted by the passage of sound waves through the ear is understood and interpreted through the brain, emphasizing the connection between the mind and acoustics. Psychological changes have been seen as brain waves slow down or speed up as a result of varying auditory stimulus which can in turn affect the way one thinks, feels, or even behaves. This correlation can be viewed in normal, everyday situations in which listening to an upbeat or uptempo song can cause one's foot to start tapping or a slower song can leave one feeling calm and serene. In a deeper biological look at the phenomenon of psychoacoustics, it was discovered that the central nervous system is activated by basic acoustical characteristics of music.
By observing how the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spine, is influenced by acoustics, the pathway in which acoustic affects the mind, and essentially the body, is evident.
Speech
Acousticians study the production, processing and perception of speech.
Speech recognition and
Speech synthesis are two important areas of speech processing using computers. The subject also overlaps with the disciplines of physics,
physiology
Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...
,
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
, and
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
.
Structural Vibration and Dynamics
Structural acoustics is the study of motions and interactions of mechanical systems with their environments and the methods of their measurement, analysis, and control. There are several sub-disciplines found within this regime:
*
Modal Analysis
Modal analysis is the study of the dynamic properties of systems in the frequency domain. It consists of mechanically exciting a studied component in such a way to target the Normal mode, modeshapes of the structure, and recording the vibration ...
*
Material characterization
*
Structural health monitoring
* Acoustic
Metamaterials
*
Friction Acoustics
Applications might include:
ground vibrations from railways;
vibration isolation
''Vibration isolation'' is the prevention of transmission of vibration from one component of a system to others parts of the same system, as in Building, buildings or mechanical systems. Vibration is undesirable in many domains, primarily engineere ...
to reduce vibration in operating theatres; studying how vibration can damage health (
vibration white finger);
vibration control to protect a building from earthquakes, or measuring how structure-borne sound moves through buildings.
Ultrasonics
Ultrasonics deals with sounds at frequencies too high to be heard by humans. Specialisms include medical ultrasonics (including medical ultrasonography),
sonochemistry
In chemistry, the study of sonochemistry is concerned with understanding the effect of ultrasound in forming acoustic cavitation in liquids, resulting in the initiation or enhancement of the chemical activity in the solution. Therefore, the chemica ...
,
ultrasonic testing, material characterisation and underwater acoustics (
sonar).
Underwater acoustics
Underwater acoustics is the scientific study of natural and man-made sounds underwater. Applications include
sonar to locate
submarines
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or info ...
,
underwater communication by whales,
climate change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
monitoring by measuring
sea temperatures acoustically,
sonic weapons, and marine bioacoustics.
Research
Professional societies
*
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
*
Australian Acoustical Society (AAS)
*
The European Acoustics Association (EAA)
*
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines.
The IEEE has a corporate office ...
(IEEE)
*
Institute of Acoustics (IoA UK)
*
The Audio Engineering Society (AES)
*
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Noise Control and Acoustics Division (ASME-NCAD)
*
International Commission for Acoustics (ICA)
*
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Aeroacoustics (AIAA)
*
International Computer Music Association (ICMA)
Academic journals
* Acoustics , An Open Access Journal from MDPI
*
Acoustics Today
* Acta Acustica united with Acustica
* Advances in Acoustics and Vibration
*
Applied Acoustics
* Building Acoustics
*
IEEE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines.
The IEEE ...
Transacions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control
*
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA)
* Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Express Letters (JASA-EL)
* Journal of the
Audio Engineering Society
*
Journal of Sound and Vibration (JSV)
* Journal of Vibration and Acoustics
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...
* MDPI Acoustics
* Noise Control Engineering Journal
* SAE International Journal of Vehicle Dynamics, Stability and NVH
*
Ultrasonics (journal)
* Ultrasonics Sonochemistry
* Wave Motion
Conferences
*
InterNoise
*
NoiseCon
*
Forum Acousticum
*
SAE Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition
See also
*
Outline of acoustics
*
Acoustic attenuation
*
Acoustic emission
*
Acoustic engineering
*
Acoustic impedance
*
Acoustic levitation
*
Acoustic location
*
Acoustic phonetics
*
Acoustic streaming
*
Acoustic tags
*
Acoustic theory
*
Acoustic thermometry
*
Acoustic wave
*
Architectural acoustics
Architectural acoustics (also known as building acoustics) is the science and engineering of achieving a good sound within a building and is a branch of acoustical engineering. The first application of modern scientific methods to architectur ...
*
Audiology
*
Auditory illusion
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Diffraction
Diffraction is the deviation of waves from straight-line propagation without any change in their energy due to an obstacle or through an aperture. The diffracting object or aperture effectively becomes a secondary source of the Wave propagation ...
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Doppler effect
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Fisheries acoustics
Fisheries acoustics includes a range of scientific research, research and practical application topics using Acoustics, acoustical devices as sensors in Aquatic ecosystem, aquatic environments. Acoustical techniques can be applied to sensing aquat ...
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Friction acoustics
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Helioseismology
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Lamb wave
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Linear elasticity
Linear elasticity is a mathematical model of how solid objects deform and become internally stressed by prescribed loading conditions. It is a simplification of the more general nonlinear theory of elasticity and a branch of continuum mechani ...
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The Little Red Book of Acoustics'' (in the UK)
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Longitudinal wave
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Musicology
Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, ...
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Music therapy
Music therapy, an allied health profession, "is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music t ...
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Noise pollution
Noise pollution, or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise or sound with potential harmful effects on humans and animals. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport and propagation systems.Senate Publi ...
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Phonon
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Picosecond ultrasonics
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Rayleigh wave
Rayleigh waves are a type of surface acoustic wave that travel along the surface of solids. They can be produced in materials in many ways, such as by a localized impact or by Piezoelectricity, piezo-electric Interdigital transducer, transduction, ...
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Shock wave
In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a me ...
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Seismology
Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic ...
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Sonification
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Sonochemistry
In chemistry, the study of sonochemistry is concerned with understanding the effect of ultrasound in forming acoustic cavitation in liquids, resulting in the initiation or enhancement of the chemical activity in the solution. Therefore, the chemica ...
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Soundproofing
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Soundscape
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Sonic boom
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Sonoluminescence
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Surface acoustic wave
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Thermoacoustics
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Transverse wave
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Wave equation
References
Further reading
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External links
International Commission for AcousticsEuropean Acoustics AssociationAcoustical Society of America Institute of Noise Control EngineersNational Council of Acoustical ConsultantsInstitute of Acoustic in UKAustralian Acoustical Society (AAS)
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