聲音在不同材料中傳遞的差異,可以用體積模數(Bulk Modulus,簡寫 B )來表示。體積模數代表物體在面對外部壓力時,會做出多少體積上的改變。數學上可以寫成:
等號左邊是施加的壓力,右邊是體積模數 B 乘上體積變化量占總體積的比率,負號只是習慣,這代表相同壓力下,B 值越大物體越不容易壓縮,和彈簧的 F=-kx 類似。我們知道越「硬」的彈簧反應越快,可以更快地傳遞波動;同樣地,比起在空氣中傳遞,聲速在較難壓縮的液體和固體中會比較快。因此不難看出,B 會與聲速扯上關係,而且 B 值越大聲速越快。
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