A decrease in intensity, power, and amplitude as sound travels is called:

A decrease in intensity, power, and amplitude as sound travels is called:

• A. Absorption
• B. Attenuation
• C. Reflection
• D. Diffraction

Answer: (B)

The main idea is how sound loses energy as it travels. That gradual loss of intensity, power, and amplitude is called attenuation. Attenuation encompasses all the ways a sound wave can weaken as it propagates—geometric spreading makes the energy spread over a larger area, and absorption by air or materials converts some energy into heat, with other minor losses from scattering. The other terms refer to specific processes: absorption is energy taken up by the medium, reflection is sound bouncing off a surface, and diffraction is bending around obstacles. Since the scenario describes a general decrease in energy during travel, attenuation best fits.

The main idea is how sound loses energy as it travels. That gradual loss of intensity, power, and amplitude is called attenuation. Attenuation encompasses all the ways a sound wave can weaken as it propagates—geometric spreading makes the energy spread over a larger area, and absorption by air or materials converts some energy into heat, with other minor losses from scattering. The other terms refer to specific processes: absorption is energy taken up by the medium, reflection is sound bouncing off a surface, and diffraction is bending around obstacles. Since the scenario describes a general decrease in energy during travel, attenuation best fits.