4.2k views
1 vote
Like light waves, sound waves can be _______, __________, or ________.

a) Absorbed, reflected, refracted
b) Bent, compressed, expanded
c) Polarized, scattered, focused
d) Transmitted, dispersed, absorbed

User Ohumeronen
by
7.7k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

Sound waves, like light waves, can be absorbed, reflected, and refracted, which are dependent on the properties of the materials they interact with. These terms describe the energy of the waves being taken in by the material, bouncing back, or changing direction due to a speed change in the different medium, respectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

Like light waves, sound waves can be absorbed, reflected, or refracted. These interactions with materials depend on the properties of the material they encounter. When a sound wave encounters a material, some energy of the wave can be absorbed by the material, turning into a different form of energy like heat. Similarly, sound can be reflected, which is the bouncing back of waves from a surface.

Lastly, sound can be refracted, which means the change in direction of waves when they pass through a material that changes their speed. This is similar to what happens with light waves, which also exhibit these behaviors. Light waves have more interactions like polarization and scattering, which are unique to electromagnetic waves and do not apply to sound waves.

User MASL
by
7.4k points