# Subsonic Waves
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 14, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374 "2003-03-14T16:35:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Moeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moeman)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/1 "2003-03-14T16:35:39Z")
Is it possible to use normal stuff found in home to make a subsonic wave device? What I mean is in a speaker type of way.
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### Author:  [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/2 "2003-03-14T17:28:31Z")
It depends on what you normally have around the house in the form of tools and parts.
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### Author:  [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/3 "2003-03-14T17:39:47Z")
One pot.
One stick.
Strike pot with stick.
QED.
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### Author:  [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/4 "2003-03-14T17:48:13Z")
:smack:
Ok, I see now that this is a trick question.
A speaker like device that produces subsonic waves. No, you do not have anything in your house to make such a device.
Speaker -\> Sound. Sound travels at the speed of sound (Duh). Subsonic sound = not possible.
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### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/5 "2003-03-14T17:56:17Z")
1 bathtub - filled approximately 1/2 way
1 board or other suitable waterproof flat object about the size of a notebook.
Splash the water back and forth in a smooth motion.
Now you have a subsonic wave.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/6 "2003-03-14T18:00:07Z")
I think he means _infrasonic_, as in lower than 20 Hz. At least that’s what I think he wants…
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/7 "2003-03-14T18:05:33Z")
As you can see Moeman we have no shortage of people who will answer what you asked, though it may not be what you wanted to know. You may want to be a bit more specific on what you want.
FWIW I suggest thumping the cone of a woofer cone. Much more speaker-like than pot-like 😉
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/8 "2003-03-14T18:08:34Z")
Argh, I should have been more specific. If you thump on your speaker and can hear it then the transient isn’t infrasonic. Pushing it repeatedly might be better.
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/9 "2003-03-14T18:49:45Z")
I wouldn’t encourage him. He might be trying to make device that produces just the right frequency and volume to create “the brown note.”:eek:
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### Author:  [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/10 "2003-03-14T19:25:28Z")
Bag End’s ELF speakers are supposed to go flat to 8hz, but you aren’t going to build one of those yourself. There is a circuit called a Linkwitz something or other that will Eq a sub down pretty low. If you are looking for true deep bass you are going to need big drivers, big amps (or big horns) and a big enclosure.
Is this what you are asking about?
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### Author:  [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/11 "2003-03-14T20:43:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Earl Snake-Hips Tucker \*
> \*\*I wouldn’t encourage him. He might be trying to make device that produces just the right frequency and volume to create “the brown note.”:eek: \*\*
Which isn’t true. I’m too lazy to find a cite, but if you search the SDMB, you’ll find several threads on the topic.
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### Author:  [@Moeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moeman)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/12 "2003-03-15T17:52:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \*
> \*\*I think he means _infrasonic_, as in lower than 20 Hz. At least that’s what I think he wants… \*\*
Yes that is what I am loking for sorry I don’t know all the technical terms:smack:
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### Author:  [@Moeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moeman)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/13 "2003-03-15T17:55:10Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by skaterboarder87 \*
> \*\*Which isn’t true. I’m too lazy to find a cite, but if you search the SDMB, you’ll find several threads on the topic. \*\*
Ok, stupid question time. What is a brown note???:eek: :smack:
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/14 "2003-03-15T17:55:40Z")
What exactly is your application, **moeman**? It might help if I knew what you had in mind.
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### Author:  [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/15 "2003-03-15T20:43:30Z")
I suppose you need a sub-woofer.
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### Author:  [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/16 "2003-03-15T21:05:46Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Moeman \*
> \*\*Ok, stupid question time. What is a brown note???:eek: :smack: \*\*
The South Park episode “Worldwide Recorder Concert” featured a concept called “the brown noise,” a particular frequency of sound that would cause anybody hearing it to lose control of their bowels and … uh … “have an accident.” The note that did this was described as being “ninety-two cents below the lowest octave of E-flat.” Obviously a joke, but there are real rumors about the existence of certain low-frequency sounds that cause anxiety, panic, loss of consciousness, crapping your pants, etc. I think there are already several threads discussing this somewhere on the message boards…
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### Author:  [@Moeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moeman)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/17 "2003-03-17T01:41:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \*
> \*\*What exactly is your application, **moeman**? It might help if I knew what you had in mind. \*\*
My neighbors kid does not think there is any noise that people don’t hear. I was trying to build a small project to show him there is noise you cannot hear. I thought that I could use a piece of paper in front of the object to show that the there was something there he could not hear. But now reading what I just wrote I am not sure that would convience him either. Oh well just a goofy idea.:smack: ☹
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### Author:  [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/18 "2003-03-17T01:43:29Z")
Oh, that’s easy, just go the other direction: Dog whistle.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/19 "2003-03-17T02:03:11Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Rhum Runner \*
> \*\*Oh, that’s easy, just go the other direction: Dog whistle. \*\*
And build an [Ultrasound detector](http://www.njsas.org/projects/bat_detector/populel_sch.html) to listen to it.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subsonic-waves/161374/20 "2003-03-17T02:05:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Squink \*
> \*\*And build an [Ultrasound detector](http://www.njsas.org/projects/bat_detector/populel_sch.html) to listen to it. \*\*
That’s what a dog is.
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