Let me provide some more examples. Light is a much higher frequency than the 2.45 GHz used by WiFi. AM radio is a much lower frequency than WiFi. All three of these phenomena are Electromagnetic radiation. You can see through kitchen strainer. To high frequency light the holes in the strainer look huge. To lower frequency WiFi and AM radio, the holes in the strainer don't look like holes at all, but more like a solid reflective surface. Now switch to a chain link fence. To light and WiFi radiation, the fence is pretty transparent but to AM radio it looks like a solid reflective surface. Now try a different experiment. Put a bb in front of a point light source such as the sun. The pea will cast a shadow indicating that the bb can block light since the wavelength of light is smaller than the pea. The bb cannot block WiFi or AM radiation because they have longer wavelengths than the size of the pea and WiFi and AM easily "bend" around the pea. Now hold a pie pan in the air. The pie pan will block radiation from a directional WiFi signal and yet a directional AM signal will bend around the pie pan and continue onward. Cedric > > On Jun 27, 2007, at 3:03 PM, Lindy Mayfield wrote: > > I was thinking something along these lines. > > I thought I had mentioned it, but I didn't. There isn't much I > don't think between me and them except trees, some bushes, and > maybe a house or two. > > On the other hand, it seems that like you said from car to car you > only hear the bass. And they always play music with a lot of bass, > like they know it annoys the heck out of everyone else. Why not > crank up some Bob Dylan? (-: > > So in your opinion was my first idea close? At night I may be able > to hear a far-away AM station because the waves can bend and bounce > better? The same for the bass drum from the neighbor crappy music? > > That seems right to me, but "bending around objects" doesn't seems > scientific enough an explanation, like one that would go over in a > physics classroom. I think you're right though. > > Lindy > > > -----Original Message----- > From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On > Behalf Of Cedric Chang > Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 11:11 PM > To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public. > Subject: Re: [OT] Why do I only hear the bass drum? > > Okay, I am think I am the only substantially correct answer so far. > It has to do with wavelength. > Shorter wavelengths have trouble bending around objects and have > more difficulty passing through objects ( like walls ). > Longer wavelengths not only bend around larger objects and > pass through walls more easily ; they are more likely to cause > objects to resonate which creates more ugly sound. > > Imagine a car next to you with the bass turned up. The car seems to > actually move up and down with the bass. No matter how high an > amplitude the higher frequencies attain, they don't move the car > although they may shatter a goblet inside. > > Cedric > > On Jun 27, 2007, at 12:31 PM, Lindy Mayfield wrote: > > It doesn't happen often, but now and again a neighbor some houses > down has a party or for some reason turns up the music really loud. > And it's the worse possible music to pick because it has a very loud > bass drum on every beat. Probably techno. So all I hear is boom- > boom-boom-boom,boom-boom-boom-boom,etc. > > It's worse than Chinese water torture. > > Anyway I was trying to understand why I only hear the bass. Is it > because of the length of the wave that it travels farther or through > more things than the higher notes? I was trying to make a comparison > for example between AM radio waves, FM, and cell phones in the > gigahertz range. Or is it because there is so much more energy in > the bass? But then I though how far away one can hear a mosquito > with a high pitch in a room or how far a piccolo or fife will carry. > > Does anyone have a theory or answer as to why the bass carries so > far? At least thinking about the physics keeps me from going > postal. (-: > > Lindy > > -- > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > > -- > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > > -- > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist