Question

During a baseball game, the sound of the bat hitting the ball can be heard and most parts of the stadium. The sound is weaker at great distances. What is the cause of this phenomenon?

Answer 1

The cause of this phenomenon is the attenuation of sound waves as they travel through the air. Sound is a mechanical wave that travels in the form of compressions and rarefactions through a medium, in this case, the air. As the sound wave propagates away from its source, it encounters air particles that absorb and scatter the energy of the wave.

At closer distances to the baseball bat, the sound wave has to pass through a smaller volume of air, resulting in less energy loss. However, as the wave propagates further, it spreads out and has to pass through a larger volume of air, resulting in greater energy loss due to absorption and scattering. This leads to a decrease in the intensity of the sound wave and, consequently, a weaker sound at greater distances.

In addition, other factors such as obstacles, temperature, humidity, and wind can contribute to the attenuation of sound waves and further reduce their strength over distance.