Write the density and pressure as and , and let be the small fluid velocity. The linear homentropic acoustic equations are
where the adiabatic sound speed is
If the flow is irrotational, write . The momentum equation integrates spatially to
a purely time-dependent integration term having been absorbed into . Substitution into continuity gives the wave equation
so the wave speed is .
To obtain energy conservation, dot the momentum equation with and use the product rule:
The continuity and pressure-density relations give
Therefore the acoustic energy conservation law is
with acoustic energy density and intensity