• Bobson_Dugnutt [he/him]
    ·
    6 months ago

    Water transmits sound much better than air, so the shockwave from any explosion (possibly including the tank's own gun) would rupture the eardrums of everyone inside.

    • Grandpa_garbagio [he/him]
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      They travel further, but higher frequencies slow down due to the medium.

      It'd probably muffle some of the more damaging high frequency sound waves but there'd be some shockwaves of lower frequencies involved which might do something else to you

      • Abracadaniel [he/him]
        ·
        6 months ago

        No, the speed of sound through water is essentially independent of frequency. Sound is a compression wave.

        You're thinking of transverse, or surface waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95sQcSulRFM

        Given the high amplitude and nearness to the gun I'd guess nonlinear propagation would play a big part so that's interesting. IDK if that makes for a more intense shock front.

        • Grandpa_garbagio [he/him]
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          I was under the impression that high frequencies don't propagate well through water, but that's dumb because sonar exists lol.

          Blame it on lack of sleep

    • 7bicycles [he/him]
      ·
      6 months ago

      yeah but if it transmit sounds better that means you can also hear better so ruptured eardrums aren't so much of a problem. basically a 0 sum thing