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Appendices
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Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of sound, ultrasound and infrasound. In a general sense, everything related with elastic waves including all types of mechanical vibrations.
Introduction & Definitions
- Acoustics and Sonics. Acoustics is the science and sonics is the technology, both concerned with the sound in all of its aspects.
- Sound, noise and silence. Sources of sound. Sound and music.
- Compound sound
Branches of the Acoustics
Acoustics is divided in many branches, from which, the most important are:
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As part of the physics, the so called physical acoustics deals with the research and description of the elastic vibrations and their behaviour in various media and environments, including the effects of sound propagation, interference, etc.
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The branch that studies the music and particularly the musical instruments is the musical acoustics.
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Voice acoustics is an active area of research in many labs, which studies singing acoustics, as well as the speaking voice.
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The psychoacoustics is the study of the relationship between physical vibrations and the brain's interpretation of them and how the incoming sound waves are processed by the auditory system to extract usable information; that is the process commonly called "hearing". The mental processes which extract sound features for purposes of memory storage, intelligibility and problem solving are studied by the Sonology.
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The soundscape design is a new discipline which attempts to discover principles and to develop techniques by which the social, psychological and aesthetic quality of the acoustic environment (or soundscape) may be improved. Soundscape is related to the processing of information from the sonic environment which can influence human behaviour, the process most commonly called "listening".
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Architectural acoustics refers to the study and design of sound transmission in enclosed spaces. The acoustics of a room are its qualities related to sound transmission and reception.
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There is evidence that exposure to certain sounds may pose a hearing risk. Noise control try to set limits to comfortable and healthy levels on environmental sounds and technological noises such as vehicles, machinery, air conditioners, etc.
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Anything involved in the process of the transfer of a signal from acoustic to electrical form, or vice versa or just the modification of the electrical form of an acoustical signal, goes in the field of the electroacoustics.
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Applied acoustics is generally termed acoustical engineering, and is practised by an acoustician or acoustical engineer.
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