Bells vs gongs

[11dig...@my-deja.com]

Which is louder?
I came up with this after wondering why churches use bells, not gongs.

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Before you buy.

[Fan Zhang]

Basically, I think the reason for the church to choose bell but not gong
should be that bell's sound can last longer time than gong is able to do.
The loudness does not matter so much.

Fan

<11dig...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
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[Francis Deck]

I am not a proper sci.physicist, but just a dumb musician whose "day job"
involves some physics. With that disclaimer, here are some educated guesses:

1. A bell can be tuned to a note. It might not be "louder" in dB, but its
tone might be more easily distinguished at a greater distance.

2. Regional differences in metallurgy and practical skills. Depending on
size, bells and gongs can be cast or hammered from billet. These require
different alloys and techniques.

3. Cultural tradition.

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[Thomas White]

<11dig...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
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> Which is louder?
> I came up with this after wondering why churches use bells, not gongs.

I'd reason that a gong's sound is highly directional, because of its flat
shape and the way it vibrates, so wouldn't be much good if you want a whole
town to hear it. Also, the flat shape would catch the wind horribly in
certain directions and swing all over the place.

Thomas