How do sound waves interact when two radios are facing each other?

[doglover9754]

So again, I’ve got this analytical question on my mind and it’s been bugging me for a couple weeks now. So my question is, how do sound waves work? I’m talking about if you put two radios facing each other playing different songs. What would happen? Is it if waves match then they just combine and become louder? Or is it just my hearing? How about this, if you put two radios facing each other and playing the same song. It will just become louder right? But the radio in front of the other radio is blocking the sound waves from traveling on its usual course. So wouldn’t that mean that you would hear the song at the same volume like using one radio? I’m not sure if this makes sense to you or not so I’m sorry if it doesn’t. Also, for those of you who have read my other analytical questions, I’m sorry if it seems like I’m just bugging you and I’m just overthinking it.

 

[A.T.]

if waves match then they just combine and become louder?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superposition_principle#Wave_superposition

 

[sophiecentaur]

How about this, if you put two radios facing each other and playing the same song. It will just become louder right?

That's very oversimplified. Two loudspeakers playing exactly the same tone can produce maxima and minima (or even nulls) in various directions due to wave interference. When the sound played is a complicated, real sound like speech or music, the interference maxes and mins are in different directions for the different frequencies so you will not find a null or a maximum in any particular direction. "Twice as loud" is all you will notice because twice the sound power will reach your ears.
Any normal sized radio will not produce a noticeable 'shadow' behind it so that the sound would be pretty much twice as loud, even behind one of them.

 

[doglover9754]

"Twice as loud" is all you will notice because twice the sound power will reach your ears.
Any normal sized radio will not produce a noticeable 'shadow' behind it so that the sound would be pretty much twice as loud, even behind one of them.

But then won’t the sound waves bounce off the other speaker and kinda like turn to a different place (diffraction I think that’s what it’s called). So wouldn’t you hear the same volume with the 2 speakers facing each other and just one speaker? Or would it change depending on where you stand?

 

[sophiecentaur]

like turn to a different place (diffraction

Yes. Diffraction will always occur at an obstacle. It's just that the obstacle, a radio, is small and its diffraction pattern would be very low level and of no identifiable form. I would actually defy you to tell any difference with second radio there or radio not there (turned off, of course). There are so many other paths for the sound to get from radio to ear.

 

[doglover9754]

Yes. Diffraction will always occur at an obstacle. It's just that the obstacle, a radio, is small and its diffraction pattern would be very low level and of no identifiable form. I would actually defy you to tell any difference with second radio there or radio not there (turned off, of course). There are so many other paths for the sound to get from radio to ear.

Ahhhh. That makes sense! Thanks!