Low sounds have a greater wavelength, making them less prone to atmospheric absorption. As a result, low sounds can travel over longer distances than high-pitched sounds, whose short wavelengths are more easily absorbed by the air.
Low sounds have a longer wavelength, meaning a greater distance between two successive peaks of the sound wave. In contrast, high sounds have shorter wavelengths. Since long waves lose their energy more slowly as they travel, bass sounds can travel much further without weakening too much. High sounds, on the other hand, fade quickly over distance due to their shorter wavelength and rapidly dissipated energy. This is why, during a concert or a distant fireworks display, you can clearly hear the low sounds while the high sounds disappear very quickly.
When a sound propagates, it gradually loses energy. This loss largely depends on the frequency of the sound. High-pitched sounds, which have higher frequencies, see their energy dissipate more quickly into the environment, mainly due to friction with air molecules. In contrast, low-pitched sounds, with lower frequencies, experience much less of this energy loss: they therefore travel further. This is why you hear the bass of a distant concert before you can clearly distinguish the music.
Low frequencies navigate obstacles more easily because they have longer wavelengths. A low sound wave can easily bypass objects, such as trees or buildings, unlike high-pitched sounds that tend to reflect or scatter. The result? Over long distances or in cluttered environments, low frequencies remain audible while high frequencies quickly dissipate or bounce around and weaken. That's why, even far from a concert hall, we primarily perceive the bass.
The temperature of the air strongly influences how sound propagates: in warm air, sounds travel faster, altering their trajectories and sometimes their range. Similarly, wind is a key factor: if you shout against the wind, your message quickly gets lost, but with the wind at your back, your voice will carry much further. Humidity also plays a concrete role: humid air absorbs high frequencies less quickly, sometimes allowing them to travel a bit further compared to dry air. The combination of wind, temperature, and humidity largely determines how far deep or high sounds can carry, sometimes creating surprising effects where certain voices can be heard from a great distance.
This is exactly why you first hear the low frequencies of a party or concert from afar: a distant boom-boom long before the higher melody can be clearly distinguished. Whale songs use the same principle: rich in very low sounds, they can travel hundreds, even thousands of kilometers across the vast ocean depths. It's the same in the forest: the roar of the stag, very deep, carries far between the trees, allowing the animal to communicate over distance with its peers or to assert its territory. Conversely, a phone ringtone, high-pitched by nature, is clearly heard nearby but quickly fades as you move away. Boat or foghorns also use low notes, allowing them to be heard from very far away despite fog or natural obstacles.
In the mountains or forests, animal calls that include low-frequency sounds are often used to communicate over long distances, as these sounds can better penetrate vegetation or rocky obstacles despite some energy loss.
Underwater, sounds travel much faster (about 1500 m/s, compared to approximately 343 m/s in air), allowing some marine mammals, such as whales, to use very low sounds that can be heard over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers.
Some birds adapt their songs in urban environments by increasing the frequency of high-pitched sounds in order to stand out better against the urban background noise dominated by low-frequency sounds like traffic.
When music is heard from a distance, it is often the bass line (low sounds) that is perceived first, as high sounds quickly lose energy as they dissipate in the air.
The reduction of low frequencies is complex and requires the use of specific materials and techniques, such as bass traps placed in strategic locations. Thick or dense materials generally provide better absorption of low frequencies.
No. In dry air at constant temperature, all sounds travel at the same speed (about 343 meters per second at 20°C), regardless of their frequency. However, they have different ranges due to attenuation and diffraction phenomena.
High-frequency sounds, having shorter wavelengths, undergo more reflection and diffusion when they encounter obstacles such as walls, trees, or buildings. In contrast, low-frequency sounds, with their longer wavelengths, can more easily bypass these obstacles.
Yes, certain weather conditions, such as a humid atmosphere or the presence of fog, can slightly reduce sound absorption, which further enhances the propagation of low frequencies over long distances.
Low frequencies have a longer wavelength and less attenuation over distance. Thus, bass sounds lose their energy more slowly and are able to bypass or penetrate obstacles more effectively than higher-pitched sounds.
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