What typically happens to sound waves as they travel through a medium?

As sound waves travel through a medium, they typically undergo attenuation, which refers to the reduction in amplitude and intensity of the sound waves as they propagate. This reduction in intensity occurs due to several factors, including absorption, scattering, and reflection as the waves interact with the particles in the medium. The energy carried by the sound waves is gradually lost, leading to a weaker signal over distance.

While it is true that sound waves can be affected by speed and other factors in different media, the fundamental phenomenon of attenuation is a consistent behavior observed across various contexts. Attenuation is crucial for understanding how sound behaves in medical imaging and other applications, as it impacts the quality and clarity of the received signals.

In contrast, the intensity of sound waves does not inherently increase with distance; in fact, it diminishes due to attenuation. The speed of sound in a given medium can vary based on the medium's properties, but it does not generally decrease due to the travel itself unless moving into a contrasting medium. Frequency typically remains constant in the same medium, altered only by Doppler effects or medium transitions. Thus, attenuation is the primary process to acknowledge when discussing how sound waves behave during propagation.