Physical or Environmental Barriers Noise, time/distance, and surroundings can obstruct effective communication. Noise distorts messages during transmission. Time differences between locations and improper seating can make communication difficult. Adverse weather directly impacts communication by affecting peoples' moods and mental focus. The choice of communication medium must also be appropriate for the intended audience. Using advanced presentations with illiterate workers will not convey instructions effectively.

1. Physical or Environmental Barriers
Physical barriers are those barriers which are caused due to some technical defects in the media used
for communication and/or due to certain disturbances in the surrounding environment.
Noise
It is the first barrier to communication. Communication us distorted by noise that crops up at the level
of transmission. The meaning attributed to the word ‘noise’ in the field of communication is derived
from the realm of Physics. In Physics, noise refers to a disturbance, especially a random and persistent
which obscures or reduces the clarity of a signal. In a broad sense, noise denotes semantic barriers,
perceptional barriers as well as psychological barriers.
Time and Distance
These may also obstruct the smooth flow of information. Time differences between people living in two
countries may affect communication between them. Even people working in different shifts in the same
organization may also face problems in communicating effectively. Improper seating arrangement in a
classroom or in a conference hall may also act as a barrier to effective communication as it is
difficult to maintain eye contact with one’s audience.
Wrong Choice of Medium
This can also create a barrier to effective communication. For example, if an expert uses charts or
graphs or PowerPoint presentations to orient the illiterate workers or volunteers to a new method of
working, they are bound to be ill-equipped to infer any information or instructions from such
sophisticated presentations.
Surroundings
Adverse weather conditions not only affect the means of communication, but also have an impact on the
sender and the receiver of the message. When two people have to communicate with each other under
extreme weather conditions, whether too hot or too cold, their surroundings does have a direct
repercussion on the effectiveness of the exchange that takes place between them. Thus, environmental
factors determine people’s mood and also influence their mental agility and thereby their capacity to
communicate effectively.