Keep it Quiet! Which Materials Block Sound Transmission Most Effectively?

Overview

Objectives/Goals In this project, I tested various materials including mass loaded vinyl, drywall, particle board, and egg cartons to see which materials would be most effective at blocking sound. My hypothesis was that when I had the box covered with a combination of drywall, particle board, and mass loaded vinyl, there would be the least amount of sound escaping from the box. Methods/Materials I built a five sided box with a 2 x 2 frame, a layer of 5/8 inch drywall, and after an air gap of three centimeters, a layer of 3/4 inch particle board. The inside of the box was lined with mass loaded vinyl, a sound resistant material. The top of the box was left open so I could place the material I wanted to test on the top of the box. As a control, I built a top for the box out of the same material from which the box was made. To generate sound, a 3162 Hz tone was set as a ring tone on a cell phone. To measure the sound escaping from the box, I used a digital decibel meter. A variety of sound insulating materials, in fact, a total of 14 different materials were tested multiple times for their ability to block sound on the open end of the box. Results I found that some simple materials such as a rubber floor mat can block sound more effectively than materials recommended by professionals. I even observed an egg carton was able to block a significant amount of sound. Conclusions/Discussion Overall, the most effective sound insulators were thick, heavy materials with double walls and an air gap between them.

Competition history

• CSEF 2010 Materials Science (Junior Division Only) · Entry J1522

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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