Reflection of Sound
Sound waves, like light rays, obey the laws of reflection. The angle of incidence, which is the angle at which the incoming sound wave strikes a surface, is equal to the angle of reflection, the angle at which it leaves. This behavior also requires that the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal (a line perpendicular to the surface) all lie in the same plane.
A significant phenomenon related to sound reflection is the 'echo,' which is defined as the reflection of sound that is heard after a time delay of at least 0.1 seconds. The minimum distance required to hear an echo is 17.2 meters, given that the speed of sound is approximately 344 m/s in air. Another related concept is 'reverberation,' which refers to the persistence of sound due to multiple reflections, often leading to a prolonged sound effect. Understanding these concepts is essential, as they have practical applications in various fields such as architecture and audio engineering.