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On the atomic scale, sound is a disturbance of atoms that is far more ordered than their thermal motions. In many instances, sound is a periodic wave, and the atoms undergo simple harmonic motion. Thus, sound waves can induce oscillations and resonance effects (Figure 17.2.2 17.2. 2).
The study of sound should begin with the properties of sound waves. There are two basic types of wave, transverse and longitudinal, differentiated by the way in which the wave is propagated.
A sound wave is the pattern of disturbance caused by the energy travelling away from the source of the sound. Sound waves are longitudinal waves. This means that the propagation of vibration of particles is parallel to the energy wave propagation direction.
Sound waves and units of measurement. Sound waves are longitudinal waves that travel through a medium like air or water. When we think about sound, we often think about how loud it is (amplitude, or intensity) and its pitch (frequency).
Sound is a longitudinal, mechanical wave. Sound can travel through any medium, but it cannot travel through a vacuum. There is no sound in outer space. Sound is a variation in pressure. A region of increased pressure on a sound wave is called a compression (or condensation).
In short, there are two different aspects to sound: there's a physical process that produces sound energy to start with and sends it shooting through the air, and there's a separate psychological process that happens inside our ears and brains, which convert the incoming sound energy into sensations we interpret as noises, speech, and music.
On the atomic scale, sound is a disturbance of atoms that is far more ordered than their thermal motions. In many instances, sound is a periodic wave, and the atoms undergo simple harmonic motion. Thus, sound waves can induce oscillations and resonance effects (Figure 17.2).
The Simple Wave Simulator provides the learner an environment to explore the distinction between longitudinal and transverse waves, the wavelength-frequency-period relationship, sound waves as pressure waves, and much more.
Sound Waves and Music. This Physics Tutorial discusses the nature of sound, its characteristic behaviors, and its association with the operation of musical instruments. Attention is given to both the purely conceptual aspect of sound waves and to the mathematical treatment of the same topic.
A sound wave is a mechanical wave that propagates along or through a medium by particle-to-particle interaction. As a mechanical wave, sound requires a medium in order to move from its source to a distant location. Sound cannot travel through a region of space that is void of matter (i.e., a vacuum).