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Attenuation refers to the reduction in the intensity or amplitude of a wave as it travels through a medium. This phenomenon occurs due to various physical processes, including the absorption of the wave's energy by the medium, which can convert it into heat. For sound waves, attenuation is also influenced by the fluid's viscosity and is proportional to the square of the wave's frequency.12

Geometric factors also contribute to attenuation. For spherical or circular waves, the energy spreads out over an increasingly larger area as the wave propagates. This distribution of energy leads to a decrease in intensity, following the inverse square law, where intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. While plane waves theoretically propagate without loss, real-world waves often experience attenuation due to these factors.32

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