What is Particle Velocity?
Particle velocity describes the back-and-forth motion of air particles when a sound wave passes through.
What is Particle Velocity in acoustics? Particle velocity describes the back-and-forth motion of air particles when a sound wave passes through. Instead of looking at pressure alone, it focuses on how fast and how far the particles move. It’s closely linked with sound pressure, but not the same thing.
While sound pressure is measured in Pascals, particle velocity is measured in metres per second. Together, they give us a clearer picture of how sound behaves in a space. Particle velocity is especially important in near-field measurements, sound intensity studies, and when assessing how energy flows in a sound field.
In this video, we explain what particle velocity is, how it differs from sound pressure, and why it’s a useful parameter in acoustics.
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