Master Handbook of Acoustics, Sixth Edition, 6th Edition

CHAPTER 7

Diffraction

From observation, we know that sound travels around obstacles and corners. For example, music reproduced in one room of a home can be heard down the hall and in other rooms. In part, this is due to reflections from walls and other surfaces, but it is also due to diffraction. Diffraction causes sound, which normally travels in straight lines, to bend and travel in other directions; diffraction occurs even in a free field without reflecting surfaces. However, the character of the music heard in distant parts of the home is different from the sound at the source. In particular, the bass notes are more prominent than treble notes. ...