Science Fair

Question
If two noises are played that are totally out of phase, will they cancel each other out?

Hypothesis
It is possible to cancel out some of the noise, but not all of it.

Theory
Noise cancellation is a very interesting procedure. First, an initial sound wave is emitted from
one source. Next, a sound wave with the same amplitude and frequency, but totally out of phase
is emitted from a second source. When this second wave is combined with the first wave,
destructive interference occurs (see figure 1), and the sounds cancel each other out.

Materials
PC computer
2 speakers
Audacity application

Procedure
1. Visit the website Sine Tone Generator
(http://www.audiocheck.net/audiofrequencysignalgenerator_sinetone.php)
2. Download a .wav file with a frequency of 1000Hz.
3. Open the file in the Audacity application.
4. In Audacity:
a. Split the stereo sound to a mono sound. [Split stereo to mono]
b. Make each sound emit from a different speaker. [Left channel and
right channel]
c. Invert one of the sounds. [Effect > Invert]
d. Repeat both 3 second sounds nine times so they each last 30
seconds. [Effect > Repeat]
5. Connect two speakers to the computer.
6. Play the sound file on Audacity, modifying the placement of the speakers, and
powering one or both of the speakers.

Facts
Noise-canceling headphones can reduce the amount of ambient low-frequency noise heard on
airplanes by 20 decibels.
Active noise control is used in headphones to cancel lower-frequency noise. This contrasts with
passive noise control, such as soundproofing, which is used to prevent higher-frequency noise
from reaching the ears.

Observations
Four scenarios with the same settings produced different results.
1. Two speakers; two meters apart: Both speakers are heard, equivalent to the
volume of sound from one speaker.
2. One speaker powered on, two meters from another which is powered off:
Only the powered speaker could be heard, with the volume of sound identical to that of
both speakers on.
3. Two speakers; two meters apart to zero centimeters apart: As the speakers
were brought closer, the volume of sound began to decrease, until it was negligible.
4. One speaker powered on, zero centimeters from another which is powered
off: The volume of sound is equal to the volume of sound in the first two scenarios.

Conclusion
In conclusion, if two sounds of opposite phase are played next to each other, destructive
interference occurs. The experiment was much more conclusive than expected, and an
appreciable difference was heard. The experiment was a success!

Bibliography
https://www.val.me.vt.edu/research/activenoisecontrol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise-cancelling_headphones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_noise_control
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100508000504AAzqpOo
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/noise-canceling-headphone3.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNK4Wc3-Ij4
http://www.audiocheck.net/audiofrequencysignalgenerator_sinetone.php
https://journalxtra.com/easyguides/how-to-make-a-semi-transparent-image-using-gimp/