Waves and Sound

Waves and
Sound
WAVES
 Waves carry energy from one place to another.

 A wave is produced when a disturbance in a medium produces
vibration of the particles and the energy travels from one point
to another without transferring matter.
 There are two types of waves,
1. Transverse waves
2. Longitudinal waves
Transverse Waves Longitudinal Waves
1. Longitudinal Waves consists of compressions and
1. Transverse Waves consists of crests and troughs.
rarefactions.
2. Transverse waves are when the displacement is at 2. Longitudinal waves are when the displacement is
right angles to the direction of the wave. parallel to the direction of the wave
3. Water waves, light and all electromagnetic 3. Sound, waves on a slinky

radiations.
Transverse waves are when
the displacement is at right
angles to the direction of
the wave…
Longitudinal waves are

when the displacement is
parallel to the direction
of the wave…
Transverse Waves
Direction of wave propagation
Direction of vibration
Crests: maximum displaced positions in the positive direction.
Trough: maximum displaced positions in the negative direction.

Longitudinal Waves
Direction of wave propagation
Direction of vibration
Compressions: are regions where the particles are closely packed or crowded
and pressure is at its maximum.
Rarefactions: are regions where the particles are far apart from each other and
the pressure is at its minimum.
Wave Properties (Definition)
 Amplitude. The maximum displacement from its
mean position.(A)
 Wavelength: distance between two crests or
crestss
troughs or two compressions or rarefactions. (λ –
Lambda)
 Frequency: the number of waves passing through
a point in a second. (f)
 Time period : the time taken by a wave to pass
through a point. (T)
 Wave speed: Wave speed is the distance a wave
travels in a given amount of time. (v)
Wave reflection
 The reflection of a wave is simply a
process by which a wave, whether
light, sound, infrared, or radio waves,
hits an object and bounces off it.
 The wave that strikes on a hard object
is known as the incident wave.
 The wave that is returning back after
striking the hard surface is known as
the reflected wave.
 The perpendicular line at the point of
reflection is known as the normal.
 The angle between the incident wave
front (peak) and the normal is known
as the angle of incidence (i).
 The angle between the reflected wave
and the normal is known as the angle
of reflection (r).
 The angle of incidence will always
be equal to the angle of reflection.
Rogue waves
 When  But if the crest from one meets the
two waves cross they pass
through each other crest from the other, a freak or
 Each continues on its way as if the rogue wave many meters high can
be formed.
other wave had not been there.
 But at the point where they cross,
their amplitude combine.
 If the crest from one wave meets
the trough from the other, they can
cancel each other out.
Sound Waves
 Sound is a form of energy produced
by a vibrating body or by vibrations.
 Sound waves are propagated in the
form of longitudinal waves, with
compressions and rarefactions.
 Sound needs a medium for its
 Speed of sound in air is 330m/s.
propagation and it cannot travel
through vacuum. Speed of sound in water is 1500m/s.
Speed of sound in steel is 5000m/s
to 6000m/s.
 How does sound reach your ear?  Speed of sound in solids is greater
- When the drum skin is struck, it than liquid, in liquid it is greater
vibrates which causes the air than gas.
beside the drum to vibrate.
Making a noise
• To produce sound you need to
make something vibrate.
• Eg: playing musical instruments

such as plucking the strings on a
guitar or hit the bars on a
xylophone.
Spreading Out:
 When an object vibrates it collides with the particles in the surrounding
medium (in this case –air).
 The vibrations travel outwards from the sound source. This is called sound
wave.
 Frequency of sound wave is equal to the frequency with which the source
vibrates.
 Example: an oscillation that occurs 50 times per second has a frequency of

50 Hz.
Bell Jar Experiment
• Requirements:
 Electric bell and an airtight glass bell jar.
• Procedure:
 When you press the switch you will be
able to hear the bell.
 Start the vacuum pump, air in the jar is
pumped out. Gradually the sound
becomes fainter.
 When the air is removed completely, no
sound is heard at all.
• Result:
 Sound cannot travel in vacuum.
Detecting sound
pinna cochlea
1) Sound waves are collected by ossicles
the ear lobe or pinna.
2) The waves travel along the ear
Auditory
canal ear canal
nerve
3) The waves make the ear drum
vibrate ear drum
4) The small bones (ossicles
amplify the vibrations.
5) The cochlea turns these into  The diaphragm of the microphone does the
electrical signals. same thing. Turning the vibrations into electrical
6) The auditory nerve takes the signal.
signals to the brain  Sound energy spreads all in all directions, so the
sound becomes quieter the further you are from
the source.
8.1 Wave basics (page 131)
1. Students’ own answers 3. a)
2. a) 40 cm
 b) 2.5 m
 c) peak = d or g; trough = b or f
 d) i) wavelength
 ii) wavelength  b) the amplitude would be
 iii) wavelength greater
 e) i) amplitude  c) it reflects
 ii) amplitude
8.2 Sound waves (page 133)
1. the drum skin, the strings and the cymbal itself.
2. a) Because there is no medium (air) for the sound wave to pass through.
b) They could have touched their helmets together, and the sound would have passed through these.
3. You can hear noises from the next room, or from outside the building, even if the door and windows are closed.
Sound must be travelling through the solid walls/door/window. You can also hear noises when underwater, e.g. at
the swimming pool, or in the bath.
4. a) Both are repeating patterns travelling outwards from a source (allow travelling through a medium). Both
transfer energy. Both have a frequency, a wavelength and a set speed (although the values of these will differ).
It is possible to measure the amplitude for both (although difficult for the longitudinal wave).
 b) In longitudinal waves the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave motion,
whereas in transverse waves the particles vibrate at right angles to the direction of wave motion.

Waves and Sound

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Waves and Sound

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Waves and Sound

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Waves and

 Waves carry energy from one place to another.

3. Water waves, light and all electromagnetic 3. Sound, waves on a slinky

Longitudinal waves are

Crests: maximum displaced positions in the positive direction.

Trough: maximum displaced positions in the negative direction.

• Eg: playing musical instruments

 Example: an oscillation that occurs 50 times per second has a frequency of

You might also like