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Reflection of Sound and Echo Explained

Sound travels in waves and bounces off hard surfaces just like light bounces off mirrors. When sound reflects back to us and we hear it again, that is call

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TL;DR: Sound travels in waves and bounces off hard surfaces just like light bounces off mirrors. When sound reflects back to us and we hear it again, that is…

Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated Jul 23, 2026

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Reflection of Sound and Echo: Sound travels in waves and bounces off hard surfaces just like light bounces off mirrors. When sound reflects back to us and we hear it again, that is call

Reflection of Sound and Echo Explained Simply

Sound travels in waves and bounces off hard surfaces just like light bounces off mirrors. When sound reflects back to us and we hear it again, that is call This is a key Physics concept for Class 9.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an echo?

An echo is the sound heard again after it reflects off a hard surface such as a wall or hill and returns to the listener a short time after the original sound.

What is the minimum distance needed to hear an echo?

To hear a distinct echo the reflecting surface must be at least about 17 metres away, so the reflected sound returns after at least 0.1 second (the persistence of hearing).

What is the difference between an echo and reverberation?

An echo is a single, clearly separated repetition of sound. Reverberation is the persistence of sound caused by repeated reflections in a closed space such as a large hall, heard as a prolonged blur rather than a distinct repeat.

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