SOUND

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.

6.

Sound is a form of energy produced by a vibrating body.

Sound travels in the form of waves.
Wave : A disturbance created in the medium which propagates in the forward direction with constant
velocity without changing its shape, is defined as a wave.
Wave motion : The mode of energy transfer in which a disturbance advances in the forward direction by
affecting the medium without mass transfer, is defined as wave motion.
The properties of medium necessary for wave propagation :
a) The medium should have the property of inertia.
b) The medium should posses the property of elasticity.
c) The medium should have low resistance (non viscous).
Types of waves : There are two types of waves, classified according to the vibration of the particles of
the medium with respect to the direction of propagation of wave.
a) Longitudinal waves ; b) Transverse waves

7. The energy per unit volume of a progressive wave is

8.

1
A 2 2 where is the density of the medium.
2

The equation of a progressive wave along the positive direction of x-axis is y = Asin(t kx) or y =
x
t x
) or y = Asin2 n( t ) where y = displacement of a particle at an instant t; A =
T
V
amplitude; = angular frequency = 2 n ; T = time period and k = propagation constant or angular wave
2
.
number or wave vector and is equal to

2
Phase difference =
x Path difference.

Asin2 (

9.

10. Stationary waves are formed by combining two longitudinal progressive waves or two transverse
progressive waves.
11. The equation of a stationary wave is y = 2A sinkx.cos t or y = 2A coskx.sin t.
12. The velocity of transverse wave propagating along a string or wire under tension is V=

T
m

where T is

M
= A.d = r 2 .d where M is total mass of wire of
l
T
Tl
T
T
length l, A is area of cross-section of wire and r is its radius. Hence V=
=
=
=
m
M
Ad
r 2 d

tension and m is linear density of the string or wire. M=

13. A wire held at the two ends by rigid support is just taut at temperature t1. The velocity of transverse
wave at a temperature t2 is V=

Y( t 2 ~ t 1 )
where =co-efficient of linear expansion, Y=Youngs
d

modulus, d = density.
a) The fundamental frequency, n=

1 T
where T=tension, m=linear density.
2l m

14. BEATS :
a) When two sounds of slightly different frequencies superimpose, the resultant sound consists of alternate
waxing and waxing. This phenomenon is called beats.
b) If simple harmonic progressive waves of frequencies n1 & n2 travelling in same direction superimpose,
n1 n 2
2

the resultant wave is represented by y= 2a cos 2

n1 n 2
2

c) The amplitude of resultant wave is 2a cos 2

n1 + n 2
2

d) The frequency of resultant wave is

n + n2

t sin 2 1
2

t .

t .


e) The number of beats produced per second or beat frequency is equal to the difference of frequencies of
nodes producing beats. n=n1~n2.
f) When a tuning fork is loaded its frequency decreases and when it is filed frequency increases.
15. DOPPLER EFFECT : The apparent change in frequency due to relative motion between the source
and the listener is called Doppler effect.
+ vs

vs

+ vo

vo

V Vo
Apparent frequency n =
n .
V Vs
16. When source and observer do not move along the line joining them, then components of their velocities
along the line joining them must be taken as velocity of observer and velocity of source in Doppler is
V + V cos

0
2
.
formula n = n 0

V
cos

s
1

17. If the observer is standing behind the source moving towards a wall with a velocity Vs, then the number

V
V
2nVs

.
and is approximately equal to
V
V Vs V + Vs

of beats heard is equal to n

18. Intensity of sound :

a) The transfer of energy per unit time per unit area perpendicular to the direction of motion of a wave
is called intensity of wave. I=

1 dE
.
A dt

. Its S.I. unit is watt/m2.

b) Intensity of a wave is given by I = 2 2 dn 2 a 2 v =

1
dvw 2 a 2 .
2

Where d is density of medium, v is

velocity of sound, n is frequency, a is amplitude.

i) I n 2 a 2 ;

2 2
I1 n1 a1
=
I2 n 2 a 2
2 2

; intensity is proportional to square of frequency and amplitude.

ii) For a given frequency of sound, I a 2 ;

2
I1 a1
=
I2
a 22

19. Laplace assumed that when sound waves travel in a gas, the changes in volume and pressure are
adiabatic.
P
d

20. Newton-Laplace formula for the velocity of sound in a gas is V =

where is the ratio of specific

heats of the gas.

Previous questions :

1.
2.

3.

When two progressive waves y1 = 4 sin(2x 6t) and y2 = 3 sin 2x 6t are

superimposed, the amplitude of the resultant wave is .

4
A stationary source is emitting sound at a fixed frequency f0, which is reflected
by two cars approaching the source. The difference between the frequencies of sound reflected from the
cars is 1.2% of f0. What is the difference in the speeds of the cars (in km per hour) to the nearest integer
? The cars are moving at constant speeds much smaller than the speed of sound which is 330 ms1.
(Ans.7)
A hollow pipe of length 0.8 m is closed at one end. At its open end a 0.5 m long uniform string is
vibrating in its second harmonic and it resonates with the fundamental frequency of the pipe. If the
tension in the wire is 50 N and the speed of sound is 320 ms1, the mass of the string is
a) 5 g
*b) 10 g
c) 20 g
d) 40 g