Why can you hear two students talking in a corridor but not see them?

Sound waves can diffract (bend) around obstacles and travel through doorways or small openings, allowing you to hear voices from another space. Light waves travel in straight lines and do not bend significantly, so you cannot see them unless there’s a direct line of sight.

Related Questions:

  1. Why does sound require a medium to travel?
  2. What is the effect of humidity on the speed of sound?
  3. What is the difference between audible, infrasonic, and ultrasonic sounds?
  4. What is the relation between frequency and pitch of a sound?
  5. Why do we hear sound more clearly at night than during the day?
  6. Why does sound travel faster in solids than in liquids and gases?
  7. Why are we able to distinguish between two sounds having the same loudness?
  8. Why does a vibrating mobile phone on a wooden table sound louder than when held in hand?
  9. Why do we see a batsman striking the ball before hearing the sound in a cricket stadium?
  10. How much does the intensity level increase when the intensity of a louder sound is double the intensity of the faintest audible sound?
  11. Two singers are singing together, each with an intensity level of 60 dB.
  12. If the pitch of a sound is increased, what is its effect on:
  13. Why don’t we hear the sound of a vibrating pendulum?
  14. Explain how sound is produced and propagated.
  15. Describe the characteristics of sound and their significance.
  16. Explain SONAR and its applications.
  17. What is intensity of sound? What is the range of intensity of audible sound? Differentiate between loudness and intensity of sound.
  18. Define intensity level. Derive the formula for its decibel scale.
  19. Differentiate between noise and music. Explain how noise is a nuisance.
  20. What is acoustics and acoustic protection? How does their study help in the construction of different structures?