Sound and

Light
Chapter 16.1
 Properties of Sound
• A drum head vibrates up and down as a drummer hits it.
• Each time the drum head moves up, it compresses the air above
it, and as it moves down, it leaves a small region of air that has
low pressure.
• Sound waves are longitudinal waves caused by vibrations and
carry energy through a medium.
 Properties of Sound
• The speed of sounds depends on the medium.
• The speed of sound in air at room temperature is about 346 m/s.
• Sound waves travel faster at higher temperatures, whether in a
solid, liquid, or gas.
• However, materials like rubber dampen vibrations and can be used
for sound proofing.
 Properties of Sound
• Loudness is determined by intensity.
• The loudness of sound depends partly on the energy
contained in the sound waves.
• The intensity of a sound wave describes the rate at which
a sounds wave transmits through a given area of medium.
 Properties of Sound
• Pitch is determined by frequency.
• Pitch is a measure of how high or low a
sound is and depends on the sound wave’s
frequency.
 Properties of Sound
• Humans hear sound waves in a limited frequency range.
• The human ear can hear sounds from 20-20,000 Hz.
• Any sound below that frequency range is called
infrasound.
• Any sound above that frequency range is called
ultrasound.
 Hearing and the Ear
• The human ear is a sensitive organ that
senses vibrations in the air, amplifies them,
and then transmits signals to the brain.
 Ultrasound and Sonar
• Reflected sound waves are used to
determine distances and to create images.
• The reflected waves from different boundary
surfaces can be made into a computer image
called a sonogram.
 Ultrasound and Sonar
• Sonar is a system that uses reflected sound
waves for measurement and can measure
large distances.
 Musical Instruments
• Most instruments produce sound through
the vibration of strings, air columns, or
membranes.
• Musical instruments rely on standing waves.
 Musical Instruments
• The two ends and points of zero amplitude of the strings
are called nodes.
• The middle of the string is called the anti node.
• The primary standing wave on a vibrati ng string has a
wavelength that is twice the length of the string.
• The frequency of this wave is called the fundamental
frequency.
 Properties of Sound
• Instruments use resonance to amplify sound.
• Resonance is a phenomenon that occurs when two
objects naturally vibrate at the same frequency.
• This depends on an object’s shape, size, and mass.