How do sound waves travel by refraction?
1 Answer
See below and you can find a few articles on this on the internet.
Explanation:
Refraction of waves in general involves a change in the direction of waves as they pass from one medium to another. Refraction, or bending of the path of the waves, is accompanied by a change in "speed" and "wavelength" of the waves. So if the media (or its properties) are changed, the speed of the wave is changed. Thus, waves passing from one medium to another will undergo refraction. Refraction of sound waves is most evident in situations in which the sound wave passes through a medium with varying properties. For example, sound waves are known to refract when traveling over water. Even though the sound wave is not exactly changing media, it is traveling through a medium with varying properties; thus, the wave will encounter refraction and change its direction. If the air above the earth is warmer than that at the surface, sound will be bent back downward toward the surface by refraction.Sound waves travel slower in cooler air than they do in warmer air. For this reason, the portion of the wavefront directly above the water is slowed down, while the portion of the wavefronts far above the water speeds ahead. Subsequently, the direction of the wave changes, refracting downwards towards the water.
