Fundamentals of Acoustics

Sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. It travels in the form of longitudinal waves that involve a succession of compressions or rarefactions in the elastic medium. Acoustics is the branch of physics that deals with the science of sound. This branch is mainly concerned with the production, control, transmission, reception and effects of sound. The fundamental properties of sound are amplitude, frequency, wavelength, velocity and loudness. There are various types of sound waves based on different frequencies which include audible sound waves, ultrasonic waves and infrasonic sound waves. Audible sound waves can be heard by humans and animals whereas ultrasound and infrasound waves cannot be heard by normal human ears. Acoustics has important applications in almost every area of life. It plays a fundamental role in the development of music and musical instruments. It has also been crucial in the study of geologic, atmospheric and underwater phenomena. The topics included in this book on acoustics are of utmost significance and bound to provide incredible insights to the readers. It will help new researchers by foregrounding their knowledge in this branch of physics.