# Is there a theortical limit to the amount of sound-energy air can contain?

is there a theoretical limit to the amount of sound energy air can contain? In case, there is a limit, what is that limit?

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@Georg I don't see what the point of that comment is. That's pretty close to the kind of inappropriate comments you've been warned about in the past... – David Zaslavsky Oct 18 '11 at 17:52
I actually think it's a fun question. It depends what configurations of the air you're ready to call sound. For example, you may allow sound waves that make the air pressure drop everywhere except for $1/N$ of the volume. I guess that the work this system may perform while switching to the uniform pressure goes like $C.p_{\rm average}V_{\rm total}\ln(N)$ or so. Of course, if you may compress all the air to very small regions, you will get more energy. Then there are lots of questions whether you allow heat (hot air), phase transitions, hot air, nuclear reactions etc. – Luboš Motl Oct 18 '11 at 19:10