# Can sound flow downhill?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sound-flow-downhill/491824>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 3, 2009, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sound-flow-downhill/491824 "2009-04-03T08:10:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sound-flow-downhill/491824/1 "2009-04-03T08:10:08Z")

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Let’s say I live, vertically speaking, mid-way up a large hill. Let’s say I’m hosting a loud, raucous party overflowing with the rock music and the squealing gals in bikinis by the pool. Would one expect that my noise would annoy those above me on the hill as below me on the hill? Or can sound travel downhill more easily? Or uphill, for that matter!

I don’t know why I should think that it might, but I wonder.

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sound-flow-downhill/491824/2 "2009-04-03T08:27:52Z")

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For such distances it will travel in all directions equally. (Once you get to the outer atmosphere or outer space things change but I would not expect to find many annoyable people out there.)

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sound-flow-downhill/491824/3 "2009-04-03T12:15:32Z")

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Note that the temperature profile of the air has a meaningful effect on sound propogation. In the evening you may have a layer of cool air close to the ground and it may be flowing downhill, both of which could enhance the transmission of sound. YMMV.

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**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sound-flow-downhill/491824/4 "2009-04-03T13:35:39Z")

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> [@Standup\_Karmic](#):
>
> I’m hosting a loud, raucous party overflowing with the rock music and the squealing gals in bikinis by the pool. Would one expect that my noise would annoy those above me on the hill as below me on the hill?

They’ll only be annoyed if they aren’t invited.