SOUND
{ PHYSICS UNIT- 12
How does sound travel?
Sound is a type of energy made by
vibrations. These vibrations create sound
waves which move through mediums such
as air, water and wood.
When an object vibrates, it causes
movement in the particles of the medium.
This movement is called sound waves, and
it keeps going until the particles run out of
energy.
Sound waves travel at 343 m/s through the
air and faster through liquids and solids.
The waves transfer energy from the source
of the sound, e.g. a drum, to its
surroundings.
Your ear detects sound waves when
vibrating air particles cause your ear drum
to vibrate. The bigger the vibrations the
louder the sound.
Reflection of sound
Surfaces reflect sound waves:
Hard surfaces reflect sound well, making echoes.
Soft surfaces, like curtains and carpets, reflect very little
sound. They absorb the sound instead, so there are no
echoes.
A tuning fork is an acoustic resonator in the form of a two-
pronged fork with the prongs (tines) formed from a U-
shaped bar of elastic metal (usually steel).
It resonates at a specific constant pitch when set vibrating
by striking it against a surface or with an object, and emits
a pure musical tone once the high overtones fade out.
A tuning fork's pitch depends on the length and mass of
the two prongs.
They are traditional sources of standard pitch for tuning
musical instruments.
Terminologies:
Frequency: Frequency is defined as the number of cycles
completed in one second.
The unit of measurement for frequency is hertz (Hz).
Oscillation: Oscillation is defined as the process of repeating
variations of any quantity or measure about its equilibrium value
in time.
Example-The pendulum moves back and forth and hence it
creates an oscillating movement. Mechanical oscillations are
called vibrations. A particle being vibrated means it oscillates
between two points about its central point.
Amplitude: The amplitude of a sound wave is the measure of the
height of the wave. The amplitude of a sound wave can be
defined as the loudness or the amount of maximum displacement
of vibrating particles of the medium from their mean position
when the sound is produced.
Compression and rarefaction
When an object moves in to and
fro motion( forward and
backward) the pressure has been
created.
When the object moves in
forward motion, it causes nearby
air particles to compress. This
creates a region of high pressure
called compression.
When an object back in backward
motion, it creates a region of low
pressure. This creates a region of
low pressure called rarefaction.
ACTIVITY: MEASURING
THE SPEED OF SOUND IN
AIR
Stand a measured distance from a large wall. Bang the
wooden blocks together and listen for the echo.
Now try bang blocks in an even rhythm so that each clap
coincides with the echo of the previous bang. This will mean
you don’t hear the echo separately from the next bang. This
may take some practice.
Your partner should then measure the time for 20 bangs.
Calculate the total distance travelled by the sound. Each
band involves the sound travelling to the wall and back, so
the total distance is 20x 2x distance from the wall.
S= distance / time taken
Formula for speed of sound:
We know that; speed= distance / time.
This can also be written as
speed = distance x 1/time
In case of sound wave; distance = wavelength
frequency = 1/ time
So, our formula becomes,
speed= wavelength x frequency
v=λxf
Seeing sound:
Oscilloscope. A cathode ray electronic instrument by
which the WAVEFORM of a sound or vibration may be
observed.
It displays an audio SIGNAL in the form of a transverse
wave
Someone speaks into a microphone that is connected to
an oscilloscope and you can see the patterns created by
their voice.
A pure musical sound, such as a whistle, will produce a
sine wave like the one shown above.
Someone just talking will produce an irregular wave
because it is a combination of sounds and the sound
waves add together to get the composite shown on the
oscilloscope.
The details:
You can see sound waves when a microphone is connected to
an oscilloscope.
A microphone changes the sound waves into an electrical
signal. The oscilloscope then shows what these electrical
waves look like.
For a pure sound of only one frequency, like a tuning fork or
whistling, the wave looks smooth and regular (as in the
picture below).
These are called sine waves. High notes have a high
frequency and the waves are very close together. Low notes
have a low frequency and the waves are spread out.
Other pretty sounds, like singing or a violin, are also regular.
They make waves that repeat themselves, but they are not as
smooth. This is because many frequencies mix together to
make the sound.
Ugly sounds, like noise or talking, make jagged lines. There
seems to be no pattern at all. Too many frequencies are
mixed up together.
Hearing the sounds:
Frequency can be divided into three categories based on
their frequency range:
Audible sound waves: The frequency that ranges from
20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Humans can easily detect these
sounds.
Infrasonic waves: The frequency of these type of waves
is below 20 Hz. Humans cannot detect it.
Examples: Earthquake, volcanic eruptions, ocean waves.
Ultrasonic waves: The sound frequency above 20,000 Hz
is known as ultrasonic sound.
Activity:
An annoying noise: Prepare a leaflet to inform
young people about the device and the science
behind it. Use the words ‘frequency’ and
‘ultrasound’ in your explanation.
Applications of ultrasound
Ultrasound is used to detect cracks in the
metallic components that are used in the
construction of high rise structures such
as buildings and bridges.
They generate and display an ultrasonic
waveform that is interpreted by a trained
operator
In the process of electrocardiography, the
ultrasonic waves are used to form an
image of the heart using reflection and
detection of these waves from various
parts.
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) has
extensive marine applications. By sending
out pulses of sound or ultrasound and
measuring the time required for the pulses
to reflect off a distant object and return to
the source, the location of that object can
be ascertained and its motion tracked.
This technique is used extensively to locate
and track submarines at sea and to locate
explosive mines below the surface of the
water.
