Sound Waves and Hearing
Explain how sound is produced, transmitted and detected.
Sound is a longitudinal wave produced by vibration.
- Explain how sound is produced and transmitted.
- Relate frequency to pitch and amplitude to loudness.
- Describe the structure of the ear.
Producing Sound
A vibrating object pushes and pulls on the surrounding air, creating compressions and rarefactions. These travel to the ear as a longitudinal wave.
Pitch and Loudness
Pitch depends on frequency: high frequency means high pitch. Loudness depends on amplitude: larger amplitude means louder sound.
The Ear
The pinna collects sound, the ear canal carries it to the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates and small bones pass the vibration to the cochlea, which sends signals to the brain.
A whistle has a high pitch because its frequency is high.
Thunder is loud because its amplitude is large.
Sound travels faster in steel than in air because particles are closer together.
Practice
- Explain why sound cannot travel through a vacuum.
- Compare the pitch and loudness of a whisper and a shout.
- Arrange in order of sound speed: air, water, steel.
Recap
Sound is produced by vibration and carried by a medium. Frequency controls pitch; amplitude controls loudness.
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Waves and Sound
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