The sound wave has energy which compresses the air. Around the compression, the air is expanded, but the air right next to it is in contact. The expansion of air pushes against the air next to it and moves away from the source. Down to the level of atoms. So the air next to it is compressed and behind it expands. That cycle continues and the compression moves through the air.
So it’s kind of like this
| ||| | | | | | | | | |
| | ||| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | |||| | | | | | | |
| | | | | ||||| | | | | | |
The compression travels through the air kind of like that. You see the three lines closer together, that compression moves to the right. But that doesn’t mean the air goes from the sound source to your ears. It’s the compression.
Leave a Reply