The shape of a quiet railway wheel
A wheel's web moves its vibration modes, but roughness at the wheel-rail contact and the demands of strength and weight decide whether a quieter shape works in service.
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Acoustics
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3 storiesAcoustics
Why a low note travels through a wall
A low note can survive when speech fades through a partition. Mass, wall resonance, structural connections, and air gaps each give sound a different route into the next room.
The echo left after a room falls silent
A clap ends in an instant, but its sound follows longer paths around the room. Early returns, a fading tail and the listener's own adaptation shape what we hear.