Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,
My son is working on a project titled 'Which material creates the best sound barrier', please, I need ideas on how to go about this.

Thank you.

What is he using as the definition of "best"? Is he looking to find material that's good at making things quieter? Or one that quiets background noise but not talking? Is he interested in material that would go between the source and your ears to stop outside traffic noise or is he interested in stopping echoes in a room? You'll find that it matters how you use the material.

In general, you'd set up a situation with a known noise source (a stereo with a MP3 player maybe), a place to put different materials in a consistent manner and a meter to read sound levels or frequencies (depending on what he's interested in). You would set up the first sample, play the sound and make measurements. Change to the second, play the same sound at the same volume setting and make measurements, etc. The important thing is to work in an area that doesn't have a lot of other noises and keep as many things (other than the material sample) the same.

After he thinks about this a bit, post back with a description of what he'd like to study and I'm sure we can give you a hand.

Howard

Wow, your comment literally removed the scale from our eyes.
We will do as you said and get back to the forum.

I appreciate this. Thank you.