Master Handbook of Acoustics, Sixth Edition, 6th Edition

CHAPTER 3

Sound in the Free Field

Many practical acoustical problems are invariably associated with structures such as rooms and buildings, and vehicles such as automobiles and airplanes. These can generally be classified as problems in physics. These acoustical problems can be very complex in a physical sense; for example, a sound field might comprise thousands of reflected components, or temperature gradients might bend sound in an unpredictable manner. In contrast to practical problems, sound can be considered in a free field, where its behavior is very predictable. In a free field, analysis is straightforward. This analysis is useful because ...