| | Category | PH | P31 | Rockin' the House: Reducing Vibrations in a Home Theater |
| | Abstract | Can a basement be created that will absorb the vibrations made by a |
| | speaker system? Longitudinal waves created by speakers can produce |
| | movements if the loudness is great enough. Some people like these |
| | vibrations, while others find them distracting and disruptive. Audiophiles |
| | are constantly creating and buying new materials to correct problems just |
| | like this. Materials like AcoustiCrete™ can help reduce vibrations and |
| | increase sound insulation. This brings the question, “What practical |
| | insulation material inside of a wall will reduce the most vibrations in a home |
| | theater?” |
| | To do this, a “basement” setup is required; this can be created by making a |
| | two chamber room. The first chamber lies between a square concrete |
| | wall and a middle, drywall, wall. The second chamber is the square area |
| | created by the drywall. A strong wire strung atop the setup will hold the |
| | speaker for part of the project. The box should house a speaker hooked |
| | up to a tuner, with some form of note-tuning device attached. Using Data |
| | Studio® and a decibel meter, measurements can be taken of the different |
| | vibrations and decibel readings while the speakers are playing, including |
| | the different insulations inside the first chamber. This is tested with the |
| | speaker on the wire versus off of it. |
| | Using the collected data, it was found that fiberglass insulation is the |
| | best at absorbing the vibrations caused by the speaker. On the other |
| | hand, blow-in insulation reduces leaked sound the most. Standard |
| | deviation and coefficient of friction tests show that there was a high |
| | precision for the decibel readings, and a low precision for the |
| | accelerometer. This means that more should be done to increase the |
| | precision of this experiment. This experiment can be used by people |
| | looking to buy homes with an emphasis on home theaters. |
| | Bibliography | Acoustical Solutions, Inc. | Supplier of Soundproofing and Noise Control |
| | Products. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. <http://www.acousticalsolutions.com/>. |
| | |
| | "Destructive Wave Interference." Zona Land Education, Home. Web. 21 |
| | Feb. 2011. |
| | <http://zonalandeducation.com/mstm/physics/waves/interference/destructi |
| | veInterference/InterferenceExplanation3.html>. |
| | |
| | Giancoli, Douglas C. Physics for Scientists and Engineers. 3rd ed. Upper |
| | Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008. Print. |
| | |
| | Griffith, W. Thomas. The Physics of Everyday Phenomena: a Conceptual |
| | Introduction to Physics. 3rd ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Print. |
| | |
| | Marshall, Paula, and John Riha. Basements: Your Guide to Planning and |
| | Remodeling. Des Moines, IA: Better Homes and Gardens, 1999. Print. |
| | |
| | "Overview of Sound Waves - Succeed in Understanding Physics: School |
| | for Champions." School for Champions: Online Lessons for Those Seeking |
| | Success. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. <http://www.school-for- |
| | champions.com/science/sound.htm>. |
| | |
| | "Past Projects." Upload & Share PowerPoint Presentations and Documents. |