I need an expert for engineering-soundproofing!!!!

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CuteBballPlayr31
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:53 pm

I need an expert for engineering-soundproofing!!!!

Post by CuteBballPlayr31 »

Hi!

I would love to get an expert for my science project that is about soundproofing material and stuff like that.
If you are an expert in this field...and would like the information on who you are and where you went to college and when you graduated and what you majored in please. (for the contact person part of my project binder) I have a few questions before starting my project.
**please answer all the questions i have in here**this would be greatly appreciated**

First of all, my question that i am going to be investigating is: What type of soundproofing material (fiberglass insulation, corrugated foam, or acoustical tile) would absorb the most sound and would let the least sound go through?
-is this question engineering or physics?

I will conduct this experiment by making 4 23x23cm boxes out of wood. Then i will glue the different materials inside the box. The i will place an alarm clock in the box.....and then i will measure the outside of the box with a decibel meter to see how many decibels of sound escaped from the soundproofing materials.

Question1: what type of wood should i use to make the boxes?

Question2: Where can i get these soundproofing materials and wood?

Question3: Where should i test this to get accurate results? (inside, if so where?

Question4: Would a regular decibel meter work to measure the sound?

Question5: what type of nails should i use to make the boxes..or should i use super glue to hold the box together (the wood)

Question6: Where should i hold the decibel meter to get an accurate reading?

I am sorry if this post has wasted your time, but i REALLY need an expert to answer these questions.

THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!
-Chrissy :)
CuteBballPlayr31
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:53 pm

seriously i need a science project like now

Post by CuteBballPlayr31 »

i am in the 8th grade and i neeeeed a science project..the due date for one is in a couple days and i cant find anything that im interested in, or is too easy for my grade level, or whatever...

but i am open to ALLL ideas [except maybe plants-but if it is a really fascinating one..then maybe

thank.you

please post on this topic...

by.the.way..im desperate as anything
-Chrissy :)
Craig_Bridge
Former Expert
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:47 am

Post by Craig_Bridge »

You have skipped quite a few steps in any scientific or engineering method. Try reading up on this site's scientific method explaination:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... thod.shtml

You need to do some more basic research on scientific/engineering units of measurement associated with your topic area
What type of soundproofing material ... would absorb the most sound and would let the least sound go through?
This is NOT a hypothesis.

You need to research:
1) What sound is and how to measure it? Hint: Sounds are waves and waves have a frequency spectrum and intensity so it is more than just db.
2) How waves interact with surfaces?
3) What is reflection, absorption, and transmission?

Your topic area is dealing with two properties, absorption and transmission.
is this question engineering or physics
In its present form, it is neither scientific nor engineering. It needs to be refined into a scientific hypothesis if you want it to be scientific or it needs to be morphed into an engineering problem that can be evaluated using some stated cost / benefit criterion.
-Craig
Craig_Bridge
Former Expert
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:47 am

Post by Craig_Bridge »

in one of my last posts i wanted to test soundproofing materials...but that requires a lot of work...such as making the boxes for one thing...

BUT...if there is any way to test this question any easier..i would LOVE any requests..
Like I said earlier, you skipped a lot of steps! You went straight to an idea that you needed to build some boxes to test sound absorbtion and transmission.

Once you read up on sound reflection, absorption, and transmission, we maybe able to help you with some simpler test methods if you restrict your testing to a single property.

With an appropriate hypothesis, the most difficult aspect will probably be coming up with a way of measuring sound. If you already have a computer with a sound capture card and a microphone then you already have the expensive part.

Even if you end up wanting to place the sound source in a box lined with the sound proofing material under test, why can't you use something simple and fairly inexpensive like a cardboard box. All that matters is coming up with a uniform sound source, a uniform test method, and a consistent measurement system.
-Craig
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