Intentional Distortions of Light and Sound: How to Create Them, and Why You Would Want to
Light and sound both travel in waves. That is just basic high school science. What is not basic high school science is the fact that you can do various things to light and sound waves, intentionally creating distortions for various purposes. Here is how that is done, and why you might want to create such distortions.
Frequency Multipliers
Frequency multipliers are wires and devices that take a single wave input, either light or sound, and split the input wave into several output waves, thereby distorting the frequency as well. The reason why you would do this is to create multiple duplicate sounds for a concert or to throw duplicate sounds around a single room. An example is creating the sounds of multiple foot soldiers entering a room and surrounding the whole of the room. It creates a false sense of being surrounded, something the military might want to do when they are trying to get an enemy or target to surrender.
In terms of splitting and multiplying light waves, this is often done during laser light shows, or for the purpose of projecting lasers onto a surface at multiple points simultaneously with the intent to cut the surface. As an example, think of laser eye surgery. The laser is actually split multiple times in order to focus the cutting power on specific areas of the cornea to make precise incisions. This is how laser eye surgery is completed in a matter of seconds rather than hours.
RF Amplifiers
RF stands for "radio frequency," so an RF amplifier amplifies a radio frequency so that it can be picked up at a greater distance. The amplification is considered an "intentional distortion" of the radio sound waves because the radio wave would not ordinarily reach as far without the means to distort and amplify it. If you desperately need to keep communication with the rest of the world for emergency purposes, you are more likely to use an RF amplifier with your CB radio and antenna.
One such example is if you lived in the wilderness of Alaska and needed to keep a clear radio channel that could reach very long distances. If you live out that far and have a medical emergency, you would need to be able to communicate with emergency services in the larger cities of Alaska. The emergency services would send medical supplies and a doctor or EMT to your cabin via plane or helicopter, and they would continue to communicate with you to make sure you are okay until they can reach you. Therefore, the RF amplifiers would be a lifesaving means of intentionally distorting sound waves to reach longer distances.