Basics of Sound in Air: Correspondence With Electromagnetic Waves

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-1-2021

Publication Title

American Journal of Physics

Abstract

© 2021 American Association of Physics Teachers. The wave equation of sound is developed starting from the equations of fluid mechanics for the velocity and pressure variation in air. The equations for sound are analogous to Maxwell's equations for linear polarized electromagnetic plane waves: the pressure variation and the velocity correspond to the electric and magnetic fields, respectively. The order of magnitude of sound properties is explained in terms of the amplitude and energy density of the corresponding wave.

DOI

10.1119/10.0002050

Volume

89

Issue

2

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