Encyclopedia of Science | Acoustics

• Words to Know
• Production of sound in a string
• Other ways of producing sound
• Detectable and undetectable sounds
• Transmission of sound
• Reception of sound
• Applications

Acoustics is the science that deals with the production, transmission, and reception of sound. The first scientist to study sound scientifically was German physicist Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni (1756–1827). Chladni was an amateur musician who became interested in finding mathematical equations to describe musical sounds. Because of his work, he is often called the father of acoustics.

Acoustics has many applications in the everyday world. When you have your...