Why You Hear an Echo: Reflection of Sound

An echo happens when sound waves bounce off a surface and return to your ears.
Hard, smooth surfaces like walls, cliffs, or buildings reflect sound best.
Soft materials like curtains or carpets absorb sound, reducing echoes.
You usually hear an echo when the reflecting surface is at least 17 meters away.
That distance allows the reflected sound to reach you after the original, making it distinct.
In mountains or canyons, echoes can repeat many times as sound bounces back and forth.
Echoes are a type of sound reflection, similar to how mirrors reflect light.
Animals like bats and dolphins use echoes for navigation through echolocation.
Engineers design concert halls to control echoes, ensuring clear and pleasant sound.
From playful shouts in a canyon to vital sonar technology, echoes reveal the hidden paths of sound.