Why Can We Hear Sound Through Walls?

Imagine you're in a room, and someone is talking on the other side of the wall. The sound goes through the wall like waves going through water, it’s called sound transmission. Walls are made of materials that let some sound pass through, just like how light passes through glass or water. Even though walls might seem solid, they're not completely blocking sound, it's more like a soft blanket letting a little bit of noise through.

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Examples

You can hear your neighbor singing in the hallway because the sound goes through the thin walls like a soft whisper.
When you're in another room, you still hear your mom calling from the kitchen, the sound comes through the wall just like it would come through air.
The loud music from the party next door reaches your bedroom even though there’s a wall between them.

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Categories: Technology · acoustics· sound waves· technology· physics