Sound is a longitudinal disturbance consisting of a succession of compressions and rarefactions to

which the ear is sensitive.

Sound is a form of wave motion, which is conveyed through an elastic medium from a vibrating
body to a listener. Musical sounds are produced by various means:
 Percussion instruments: drums (such as dodo), the xylophone, the afrikyiara.
 Wind instruments: the pipe organ, the atenteben, the whistle etc.
 Stringed instruments: the guitar, the violin etc.

All these instruments produce sound by causing an object to vibrate. The vibration is transmitted
into the air as progressive longitudinal waves.

Propagation of Sound Waves

Sound needs a material medium for its transmission. Gases, liquids, and solids can all transmit
sound waves, but a vacuum cannot. For instance, spacemen cannot speak to each other during
their moonwalks except by radio, as there is no air on the moon.

Velocity of Sound through solid, liquid and gas

Sound travels about 15 times faster through iron than air and in water about 17 times that in air.
Hence, the speed of sound depends on the medium through which it travels. The velocity of sound
in its media increases with the order.

Air < Liquid < Solid

Light wave on the other hand travel faster in air than sound. This explains why an aeroplane is
seen before the sound of the engine is heard and when a gun is fired a spark is seen before the
report is heard. When there is a thunderstorm, light is seen before sound is heard.

Notes and Noise

A note is a sound produced from a vibration at one frequency.
Noise is produced by sources vibrating’ with no fixed frequency, or by several sources producing
u cvbcvz1344f5greater the frequency the higher the pitch and vice versa. The number of
vibrations per second by a vibrating body is its frequency.
Loudness and Intensity
The intensity of sound at a certain place is the rate of flow of energy per unit area perpendicular
to the direction of the sound wave. Loudness, in contrast, is a sensation in the mind of the
individual observer, depending on the intensity of the sound. Intensity depends, among

Wave Phenomena
Other factors, on the amplitude of vibration, the frequency of the sound and the distance away of
the sounding body. Loudness depends on all these and on the characteristics of the vibrations the
greater the energy of vibrations the greater the amplitude the greater the intensity. In general,
sound waves of higher intensity are louder.
The unit of loudness is the bel, which is rather a large unit. The unit in practical use is the decibel,
one tenth of the bel.
Sound heard Decibel level/Db
Threshold of hearing 0
Whispering 30
Normal conversation 60
Busy street 70
Noisy factory or market 80-90
Jet plane overhead 100
Threshold of pain 120

Reflection of Sound (Echoes)

An echo is a reflected sound.
Echoes are produced by the reflection of sound from a hard surface such as a wall or cliff. For
echo to be heard, the distance of separation between the source and the reflection surface must
at least be 17 m. When the reflecting surface is less than this distance the echo follows so closely
up on the direct sound that they cannot be distinguished as separate sounds. One merely receives
the impression that the original sound has been prolonged. This effect is called Reverberation.

Echo sounding devices

Echo sounding devices, sometimes called Sonar, can be used on a ship for measuring the depth of
the sea. The principle involves sending a wave down to the seabed. The wave is reflected back
after striking the seabed. Knowing the speed, v, of the wave in water, and the time, t, to receive
the echo, the depth, x, of the sea is

Applications of echo
i. It is used in the determination of the depth of ocean beds or the sea.
ii. Echo sounding is used to determine the position of a ship wreck under water.
iii. It is used to determine the position of a shoal of fish.
iv. It is used to measure the velocity of sound.
v. It is used in surgical operations.
vi. It is used for the exploration of oil.

Examples
1. A boy stands in an empty room and shouts. He is 5 m from the wall of the room. Calculate
the time he takes to hear the echo, if the velocity of sound is 330 ms-1.