Sound propagation depends on interactions with objects and the medium

Evidence

So far we have only considered sound in isolation, and we have seen that sound has velocity, frequency and wavelength and reduces in intensity in proportion to the square of the distance from the source. However, sound also interacts with physical objects and other sound waves and is affected by changes in the propagating medium. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 322

Categorization

• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 322
• XREF: connects to: Sound fields are symmetric between source and receiver when the medium is still; Wood’s anisotropy makes sound radiation direction- and frequency-dependent; Sound near walls or large vessels is enhanced by scattering regardless of resonator tuning (+14 more)

Broader Connections

• Reflection and diffraction of sound both depend on object size relative to wavelength #expands (0.85)
• Higher material density slows sound propagation speed #expands (0.85)
• Sound propagation can be modeled as coupled masses and springs #exemplifies (0.80) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 25
• Effective sound diffusion demands surface depths proportional to the target wavelength #exemplifies (0.80)
• Room boundaries alter a sound source’s radiated power, not just its perceived sound #exemplifies (0.80) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2134