The Absorption of Sound in Gas Mixtures

The absorption of sound has been measured in CO2, CS2, C2H4O, and in mixtures of the latter two gases with CO2 for frequencies ranging from 2 to 10 kc and for pressures ranging from 3 to 300 mm of Hg. The tube method was employed. The absorption was determined by observing the decrease in sound pressure as the path length between the speaker and the microphone was increased. A fixed condensor microphone and a movable ribbon-type speaker were used. The measured absorption coefficient was corrected for the effect of the tube and also for the absorption due to viscosity and heat conduction of the gas. The corrected absorption coefficient was then plotted as the attenuation coefficient per wavelength against the logarithm of the ratio of frequency over pressure. These curves were then compared to those determined from Bourgin's Theory for mixtures of absorbing gases. The agreement between the observed attenuation and that predicted by the theory was within 5 percent.