Sound Waves & Sound

Use this studyguide to better prepare for the exam!

Waves

disturbance that carries through matter or space

Mechanical waves

travel through a material medium

Examples: sound, water waves, people waves

Electromagnetic waves

light can travel without medium

Matter wave

particle like electrons that display wavelike properties

Gravity wave

a ripple in space and time, just like Einstein predicted

Amplitude

maximum displacement of a wave form

Wavelengths

the distance the wave travels along the path during one cycle

SI Unit: meters

Wave Velocity Formula

distance / time

Transverse Waves

wave in which particles move the disturbed medium to the wave of motion

Energy is directly proportional too…

AMPLITUDE

Longitudinal Waves

a wave whose particles vibrate parallel to the direction the wave is traveling

*Also called compressional waves*

Compressional Waves have…

density + high pressure

Rarefraction

when particles are father away + low pressure

Water Waves

has both transverse and longitudinal

*Goes up/down and back/forth*

In-phase

points on a periodic wave that have the same displacement and moving in the same direction

Out-phase

same displacement but going in different directions (180)

Wave Interference

when two waves are traveling along the same medium

Super position

combination of two overlapping waves

Constructive Interference

when two interfering waves have a displacement in the same direction

Resultant Wave

equal to the difference of the amplitude of each pulse

Destructive Interference

the two interfering waves have a displacement in the opposite direction

Complete Destructive Interference

who two waves completely cancel each other out

Reflection

wave strikes on object or a medium and is delivered back to the original medium

Refraction

involves a change in the direction of waves as they pass from one medium to another

A change in speed and wavelength of the waves…

helps us to see the reflections

Diffraction (scattering)

a change in the direction of waves as they pass through an opening or around the barrier in their path

Sound waves

require a medium to travel, has compression, created by vibrations

You need medium, vibration, and receiver for…

SOUND WAVES

Ultrasonic Waves

those above the UPPER limit

Infrasonic Waves

those above the LOWER limit

Speed of the Wave

is the distance travelled by any part of the wave per unit of time

Speed of Sound=

frequency (wavelength)

The temperature of sound varies with what?

the temperature of air

At higher temperature, the speed of sound is…

greater by 0.61 m/s

Absorption

occurs when the sound wave passes through materials

Diffraction

wave bends as it passes on an obstacle

High Frequency=

low wave sounds

Low-pitched (long wavelength) sounds…

always carry further than high-pitched (short wavelength) sounds

Elephants emit…

infrasonic waves

Bats emit…

ultrasonic waves