Basic Acoustics
(ACO 501)
Basic acoustics
- Terminology and definitions
- The deciBel
- Sound pressure/sound pressure level
- Sound power/sound power level
- Loudness
- Dealing with decibels
- Wave propagation
- Sound
Vibration and noise
- Relationship between sound and vibration measurements
- Use of vibration measurements to help analyze sound problems
Instrumentation
- Sound level meters - standards and functions
- Spectrum analyzers - fractional octave, real time and FFT
- Microphones - types and applications - pressure, free field, condenser, electret
- Preamplifiers, cabling and other issues
Measurement procedures and standards
- General and specific test standards
- Sound power
- Order tracking
- Acoustic intensity
Test spaces
- Sound propagation out-of-doors
- Sound propagation in a room - reverberation, anechoic and hemi-anechoic rooms
- Sound propagation in other spaces
Acoustic materials - absorption, barrier, damping - applications
Laboratory demonstrations
Data reduction - reducing data into something manageable
Data analysis - interpreting all that data
Setting up a test program
Documentation and reporting
Possible extensions
- Greater depth on any of the topics listed above
- Sound quality
- Operating deflection shapes and modal analysis
- Noise reduction
