Linearized mass conservation, momentum balance and the isentropic pressure-density relation are , , and . Differentiate mass conservation in time and take the divergence of momentum balance to eliminate velocity. This gives the acoustic pressure wave equation
For the convention , momentum balance gives the complex velocity amplitude , with . Thus the incident velocity field is in the lower gas.
Let , , , and with nonnegative real or imaginary part. This chooses an outgoing propagating wave or an evanescent wave decaying as . Conservation of tangential wavevector is the acoustic Snell law for elastic and acoustic waves. Write the complex pressures as
Inviscid kinematic matching requires equal normal velocities at the plate, not equal tangential velocities:
Define the normal acoustic impedance ratio , so . For a propagating transmitted wave this is . The dynamic condition gives
which is exactly the printed dimensionless parameter. Solving yields the pressure reflection coefficient and transmission coefficient
At use the preceding velocity equations, or take their limit, rather than substituting an infinite . For real , the reflected energy fraction is , the transmitted fraction is , and these sum to one. An evanescent transmitted wave carries no mean normal energy flux.
When the gases match, , so and . For a nongrazing incident wave of nonzero frequency, perfect transmission means , equivalent to
The plate's inertial and bending terms cancel: the incident frequency and tangential wavevector coincide with its free flexural wave dispersion relation. Then , including its phase. With positive , this condition is possible only at angles and frequencies satisfying that relation; for normal incidence at nonzero frequency it cannot occur unless the mass is zero.
The linear homentropic acoustic equations are
Differentiate the first equation in time, take the divergence of the second, and use the third. This eliminates and and gives the acoustic pressure wave equation
For adiabatic perturbations of a static perfect gas, pressure obeys
The stationary balance is . Density and entropy need not be spatially uniform. Expanding the divergence exposes the gradient terms that distinguish this equation from the homogeneous acoustic pressure wave equation. Its divergence form yields weighted acoustic Green-function reciprocity.