Question

What causes an echo?

Answer 1

An echo is caused by sound waves reflecting off surfaces and returning to the listener after a brief delay. When sound waves hit a hard surface, such as a wall or a cliff, they bounce back and reach the listener's ear a short time after the original sound. The delay between the original sound and the reflected sound is what creates the echo effect. The strength and clarity of an echo depend on the distance between the sound source and the reflecting surface, as well as the acoustic properties of the environment.