What happens to sound as it travels away from its source? - Investigation write up prompts

When embarking on an investigation into the travel of sound from its source, we began by hypothesising the distances our voices could be heard. We estimated that an 'ordinary' speaking voice might carry for a moderate distance before becoming inaudible, while a 'whispering' voice was expected to have a much shorter reach. Conversely, we predicted that a 'shouting' voice would travel the farthest, potentially reaching a considerable distance due to the increased volume and energy.

In preparation for our investigation, we agreed upon specific measures such as the distance between the speaker and the listener, the ambient noise level of the environment, and the clarity of the spoken words. However, as we commenced, we realised the need to adjust certain aspects, like the listener's position or the background noise, to ensure more accurate measurements. Our methodology involved one person speaking at varying volumes while another measured the distance at which the words became unclear. We discovered that sound indeed diminishes with distance, with shouting voices carrying the farthest as anticipated, and whispering the least. If we were to repeat the experiment, we would choose a more controlled environment to minimise variables such as wind and background noises. Diagrams illustrating our setup and results would also be included to visually represent our findings.

Sound is created when an object vibrates, sending waves through a medium such as air, water, or solids. As sound travels away from its source, the energy of the sound waves disperses, causing the volume to decrease. This attenuation of sound is influenced by factors such as the medium it travels through, obstacles in its path, and the distance from the source. Our investigation provided practical insights into these principles.