Absorption (acoustics)

Acoustic absorption is when sound waves hit an object and the object absorbs (takes in) some of the sound energy so that less sound is reflected back. It's like a sponge soaking up water--no matter how many times you dump water on the sponge, it'll eventually absorb it all, leaving the sponge dry. Acoustic absorption works the same way: when sound waves hit an object, the object absorbs some of the energy, and less is reflected back. A good example of this is a carpet—when you walk across a carpeted floor, it absorbs much of the sound, making the room less noisy.