Sound Propagation

[John Delacour]

At 10:13 PM +0100 1/7/02, Richard Brekne wrote:

>Let me put it this way. When Del says "Sound does not travel through the sound
>board"  And John Delacour says emphatically the opposite, I start 
>immediately with
>the thought that there is a high probability of these two very 
>informed individuals
>are really speaking somewhat different languages, accenting 
>different aspects of
>this problem that they have come through there experience to feel is 
>very important
>to underline. Chances are that somewhere there is an interpretation 
>of the problem
>that lies somewhere in between that really doesn't conflict with either.

And pigs might fly!

Remember when we were playing with monochords and listening to the 
screech of wires vibrating in the longitudinal mode?  How do you 
think these waves were audible at all, Richard?  Since the frequency 
of those waves were not partials of the natural transverse frequency 
of the wire, obviously they did not convert themselves by some magic 
into transverse vibrations so that we might hear them -- besides, 
transverse vibrations do not constitute sound -- so where did the 
sound come from, how did these longitudinal vibrations disturb the 
air?

Consider also that if it is necessary to move large bodies of air for 
music to be heard, why a concert hall is not a necessarily a very 
windy place.

JD