Quizzes & Puzzles2 mins ago
Noise from a curved road
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Consider a straight busy fast road. At a constant distance from it the noise level is constant. What happens if the road curves?
Intuition suggests that on the inside of the bend a point will receive noise from slightly more road, and one the same distance away on the outside of the bend will be quieter because it receives noise from a reduced length of road.
A solution which ignores traffic variations, third dimension effects like refraction and obstacles like buildings and trees would be of interest, but my capacity to convert my intuition into a mathematical equation and solve the equation has withered from lack of use. If someone were willing to give me the benefit of a few minutes' thought I would be very grateful and fascinated!
Thanks!
Intuition suggests that on the inside of the bend a point will receive noise from slightly more road, and one the same distance away on the outside of the bend will be quieter because it receives noise from a reduced length of road.
A solution which ignores traffic variations, third dimension effects like refraction and obstacles like buildings and trees would be of interest, but my capacity to convert my intuition into a mathematical equation and solve the equation has withered from lack of use. If someone were willing to give me the benefit of a few minutes' thought I would be very grateful and fascinated!
Thanks!
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The level of noise you hear will be dependent on your distance from the noise source. On the inside of the bend you will be closer to a greater length of the road than if the road were straight, and so the total noise you hear will be more. (Imagine being in the center of a road built in a circle round you). Conversely, on the outside of the bend you will be further away from a greater length of the road than with a straight road, and the total noise will be less,
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