Physics of Sound Wave
Uploaded by
Vinod Kumar MPhysics of Sound Wave
Uploaded by
Vinod Kumar MThe physics of sound waves
What sound waves are
Sound waves are longitudinal waves that travel through a medium, such as a solid, liquid, or gas, as a
series of compressions and rarefac ons.
How sound waves are created
Sound waves are created when an object vibrates, causing the par cles in the surrounding medium
to vibrate as well. For example, a stereo speaker creates sound waves by moving its membrane back
and forth
How sound waves travel
Sound waves travel through a medium at the speed of sound, which depends on the medium. For
example, sound travels through air at about 330 meters per second.
How sound waves are characterized
Sound waves are characterized by their wavelength, frequency, and amplitude
Wavelength: The distance between one compression and the next
Frequency: How quickly the compressions pass an observer
Amplitude: How compressed the air molecules become
Speed of Sound in Different Media
The speed of sound varies in different materials:
In air (at 20°C), sound travels at approximately 343 m/s.
In water, sound travels at around 1,484 m/s.
In steel, the speed of sound is about 5,100 m/s.
Intensity and Loudness
Sound Intensity: The intensity of sound is the amount of energy it carries per unit of area in
a direc on perpendicular to that area. It is propor onal to the square of the amplitude and
inversely propor onal to the square of the distance from the source.
Loudness: The percep on of sound intensity, which is not linearly related to actual intensity.
Loudness depends on both the sound's amplitude and frequency, and it is measured in
decibels (dB).
Sound in Different Environments
In a vacuum, there is no medium for sound to propagate, so no sound can travel.
In air, sound travels through the vibra ons of air molecules.
In water, sound propagates faster due to the denser medium compared to air.
In solids, sound travels the fastest because the par cles are more ghtly packed
How humans hear sound
The human ear detects sound waves as pitch and volume. The lowest pitch most humans can hear is
20 Hz, and the highest is 20,000 Hz.
How sound waves are refracted
Sound waves can refract when the density of the atmosphere they are traveling through changes.
How sound waves are reflected
The laws of reflec on of sound state that the angle of reflec on is always equal to the angle of
incidence.
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[1] h ps://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z2dtv9q/revision/1
[2] h ps://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/sound-wave