P ROPERTIES AND D ETECTION OF S OUND Waves
S OUND Sound is caused by the vibration of a medium. Your voice results from a vibration of your vocal chords. The sound of a violin is produced by the vibration of strings. Sound cannot propagate through a vacuum!
W HAT K IND OF W AVE IS S OUND Sound is a mechanical wave – It results from particle- to-particle interaction. Sound is a longitudinal wave – The particles move along the direction of the wave. Sound is a pressure wave – It has regions of compression and rarefaction.
S OUND W AVE D EFINITIONS Pitch – our subjective impression of the frequency of sound Infrasonic – sound waves with frequencies below 20 Hz Ultrasonic – sound waves with frequencies above 20,000 Hz Compression – region of high pressure Rarefaction – region of low pressure
T HE D OPPLER E FFECT The apparent change in frequency due to the motion of the source (or receiver). The greater the speed of the source (or receiver), the greater the Doppler effect.