Sound

• Acoustics is the study of sound.

• All sounds are waves produced by

vibrating objects - tuning forks, vocal
chords, reeds, lips, columns of air,
strings, cricket legs

• Demo – tuning forks - water

Sound
 Sound Waves

• Sound is a longitudinal wave with

compressions and rarefactions.

• Q- Draw a sound wave. Label areas of

high pressure and low pressure.
 Sound Waves
• Notice that the air molecules move in a
direction parallel to the direction of the
wave.

• Demo – Slinky on the floor.

 Speed of Sound
• The speed of propagation
Medium Speed of sound
Air 343 m/s
Steel 5100 m/s
Water 1370 m/s
Vacuum 0 m/s
Speed of Sound vs Snowball
http://teachers.springisd.org/craigm/sup
 Speed vs Temp
• As temperature
increases, the
speed increases.

0.6 m/s per *C

 Speed of Sound
vs Speed of Light

Sound = 343 m/s

Light = 300, 000, 000 m/s

Notice that light travels much faster.

 Lightning & Thunder
• Light reaches you
in an extremely
short period of
time.
• Sound reaches you
at a much slower
rate. It takes about
5 seconds to travel
1 mile.
 The delayed sound reaching
your ear after the light.
• Other examples include – starters pistol,
chopping wood

• You see the event(light), count the number

of seconds until the sound arrives.
5 seconds = 1 mile 10 seconds = 2 miles
 Pitch
• The pitch is determined
by the frequency of the
sound. Units are Hz or
vibrations per sec.

• Humans hear 20 to
20,000 Hz
• Loud noises can damage your hearing. This
usually lowers your upper limit. The tiny
hairs in the inner ear may fall out.
 Path that sound travels
• Sequence of vibrations from the source
• To the ear drum
• To the bones in the middle ear
• To the fluid in the inner ear
• To the hairs in the inner ear
• To the nerves which go to the brain on
the auditory nerve.
 Musical Notes
• A B C D E F G A etc
• Low C is 256 Hz
• Middle C is 512 Hz
• High C is 1024 Hz

• Notice that each

octave is double the
frequency.
 What is it that vibrates?
• Demo – Straws
• Demo – Happy BD Box
• Demo – Water in glasses
• Demo – Oscilloscopes and tuning forks
and voices
 Loudness of Sound
• How loud a sound seems is determined
by the waves amplitude. This is
proportional to its energy.

• For an increase in 10 dB, the energy is

ten times greater.
 Loudness
Sound Decibels
Hearing 0
threshold
Rustle of leaves 10
Conversation 60
Rock Concert 110
Pain Threshold 120
Jet Engine 130
 Reflection of Sound
• Reflection of sound
is called an echo.
• Sound waves
reflect off of hard
smooth surfaces.
• Curtains and rugs
results in most of
the sound being
absorbed
(transmitted).
 Interference of Sound Waves
• Constructive Interference
 Doppler Effect
• Breaking the sound barrier