Question

State whether the given statement is true or false:
It is usually preferable to have a longer reverberation time in an auditorium for music as compared to speeches.
- TRUE
- FALSE

Answer 1

To solve this question we must have a basic understanding of reverberation.
Reverberation is the persistence of sound after the source stops producing sound, due to the repeated reflection of sound at the surface of the room or any object.
And for how much longer the sound persists after reflection is termed as reverberation time.
According to acoustic theory it is better to have an auditorium with longer reverberation time for music and it is better to have an auditorium with a little shorter reverberation time for the purpose of speech, otherwise due to longer persistence of sound the words are not clear.

Complete step by step answer:
In an auditorium, the sound produced at source gets reflected by the surface of the room and then dies away with time as the energy of sound gets absorbed by the surfaces after multiple reflections. In a more reflective room, the sound dies away a little late or we can say sound persists longer and this kind of room is called acoustically live, while in a more absorbent room the sound dies away pretty fast and this kind of room is called acoustically dead.
The desirable range of reverberation times for a general-purpose auditorium which is used for both music and speech purpose is around 1.5 to 2.5 seconds. According to acoustic theory it is better to have an auditorium with longer reverberation time for music and it is better to have an auditorium with a little shorter reverberation time for the purpose of speech.
Auditoriums used for speech generally need a shorter reverberation time so that speech can be understood more clearly. If the reflected sound from one word is still heard when the next word is spoken, it may be difficult to understand what was said. And we should keep in mind that if the reverberation time is too short the tonal balance and loudness of the sound may suffer.
Hence, a longer reverberation time is preferred in an auditorium for music as compared to one for speeches.

Note:
The basic factors that affect a room's reverberation time include the size and shape of the room and as well as the materials used in the construction of the room. And any other object placed within the room can also affect this reverberation time, including people and their belongings.