ACOUSTICS The Acoustic Wave Equation

The continuity equation

Consider a mass element dm, moving with the uid as a wave passes. In the absence of the wave it has volume dV0 dx dy dz. The wave displaces x y z to x dV 1 dx 1 x

Since dm is constant, 0 dV0 dV. Thus dV0 dV 0 1 s, where s is the fractional condensation, and 1

For small amplitude waves,

and s are all small quantities. Therefore x y z 1

Writing d

k:

1 x

1 y

1 z

(1)

y z dy 1 y dz z

. The volume changes to 1 x 1 y dV0 z

The elasticity equation

The pressure P in the uid is a function of the density . The gradient of this function P . A small additional acoustic pressure p will at atmospheric pressure P0 is 0 correspond to a density change d, where

Force equation

There are three component equations. In the x direction, for example, the force on the element of uid is P p dFx dV0 dV0 x x Similar equations apply for the y and z directions. The acceleration of the uid particle is strictly given by the convective derivative of the particle velocity u: u a u u t However, for small amplitude uid motion, the second term can be neglected. We can then write p 2 dFx dV0 dm 2 ; x t

2 d t 2

p x Similar equations apply to y and z. Thus

2 t 2

 

0 s

(2)

(3)

The wave equation

From Equations 3 and 1:

Using Equation 2,

This has the form of a wave equation for p:

For an adiabatic process, PV is constant, so

c 343ms 1 for air with T 18 and standard atmospheric pressure and density. The speed of sound in air increases with temperature, and is also affected by humidity.

Energy density
The arrival of a sound wave carries with it energy in both kinetic and potential forms. The kinetic energy of a volume element m KE

The potential energy is found by evaluating the work done when the volume element is compressed by the acoustic pressure p:
V V0

PE

1 m u2 2

 

P0 0

 

with the phase velocity c

1 2

2 p t 2

c22 p

P0 0
1 2

0 V0 is 1 0 u2 V0 2

p dV

(4)

2 p t 2

2 s 0 2 t 0

2 p

2 p

2 d t 2

2 s t 2

Recalling that V

V0 1

p 0c2 ;

dV PE p
0

V0 0 c2 d p

The total energy of the mass m is

1 0 u2 2

The energy density is

p2 2 c2 0

1 0 u2 2

1 2 p 0 c2 V0 2

V0 0 c2 d p

V0 1

d , and p

 
0 c2 d:

 

p2 20 c2 V0

(5)