monson unit 11 sound vocab

antinode

a point on a standing wave where the wave is as far as possible from equilibrium

beats

a series of alternate reinforcements and cancellations produced by the interference of two waves of slightly different frequencies, heard as a throbbing effect in sound waves

compression

a condensed region of the medium through which a longitudinal wave travels

decibels

the units that are used to measure intensity; abbreviated dB

Forced Vibrations

the setting up of vibrations in an object by a vibrating force

Fundamental Frequency

the standing wave with the longest wavelength will vibrate at this frequency. This is always one-half of the wavelength

Harmonic

a standing wave whose frequency is an integral number of the fundamental frequency

Infrasonic

describes a sound that has a frequency too low to be heard by the normal human ear

Intensity

a term used to describe the energy of a sound wave

Interference

a result of superposing different waves, often of the same wavelength

Natural Frequency

the frequency at which an elastic object tends to vibrate when it is disturbed and the disturbing force is removed

Node

a point on a standing wave where the string stays at its equilibrium position

Pitch

the highness or lowness of a tone

Rarefaction

a rarefied (of reduced pressure) region of the medium through which a longitudinal wave travels

Refaction

the bending of sound or any wave caused by a difference in wave speeds

Resonance

the response of a body when a forcing frequency matches its natural frequency

Reverberation

the persistence of sound, as in an echo, due to multiple reflections

Sound Waves

a longitudinal wave created by a pressure disturbance that travels through a medium by means of particle-particle interaction

Subsonic

when an object moves slower than sound

Supersonic

when an object moves faster than sound

Ultrasonic

describes a sound that has a frequency too high to be heard by the normal human ear