Acoustical engineering

Acoustical engineering is the branch of engineering dealing with sound and vibration. It is closely related to acoustics, the science of sound and vibration. Acoustical engineers are typically concerned with:


 * how to reduce unwanted sounds
 * how to make useful sounds
 * using sound as an indication of some other physical property

The art of reducing unwanted sounds is called noise control. Noise control engineers work with engineers in most industries to ensure that their products and processes are quiet. There is also a great deal of work done with the assessment and design of buildings, workplaces, airports, road systems in fact most noise generating or noise sensitive developments. There are many standards and documents stating what levels of performance must be achieved for each condition. The various standards and regulations used in the UK are condensed into The Little Red Book of Acoustics.

The art of producing useful sounds includes the use of ultrasound for medical diagnosis, sonar, and sound reproduction.

A separate and related discipline, audio engineering, is the art of recording and reproducing speech and music for human use.

*This article is licensed under the |GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustical_engineering