What factors determine attenuation in sound waves?

Attenuation in sound waves is primarily influenced by the path length that the sound travels and the frequency of the sound. As sound waves propagate through a medium, they lose energy due to scattering and absorption, which is more pronounced at higher frequencies. This is because higher frequency waves tend to interact more with the medium, resulting in greater energy loss.

The path length is also a critical factor; the longer the sound travels through the medium, the more attenuation occurs. Thus, both the frequency of the sound and the path length work together to determine the extent of attenuation experienced by sound waves as they propagate.

Other factors such as amplitude or power may influence aspects of sound waves like intensity but do not directly correlate with attenuation in the same way that frequency and path length do. Therefore, focusing on frequency and path length provides the most relevant understanding of attenuation in sound waves.