Sound Waves

Group 6
Sound Waves
• Molecules in the air vibrate about some average position creating the compressions and
rarefactions. We call the frequency of sound the pitch.
• Longitudinal Waves
• Propagation of zones of alternating compression and rarefaction
• Sound waves are longitudinal waves that travel in gas, liquid, or solid material

https://revisionworld.com/sites/revisionwor
ld.com/files/imce/transverse-wave.gif
Speed of sound
• The speed of sound is different in different materials; in general, the denser the material, the
faster sound travels through it.
• The formula used to figure out the speed of sound, in air, on any given day is

!" = 331 + 0.6*

v is the velocity of the wave
T is the temperature of the air in degrees celcius
Speed of sound waves
• Speed of sound depends on characteristics of medium.
• In a fluid, such as water, speed of sound is:
#
!=
$

• In a solid rod or bar, speed of sound is:

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!=
$

• In an ideal gas, such as air, speed of sound is:

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!=
)
Speed of sound in various bulk materials
Material Speed of Sound (m/s)
Air 344
Helium 999
Hydrogen 1330
Liquid helium 211
Mercury 1451
Water 1402
Water 1482
Water 1543
Aluminum 6420
Lead 1960
Steel 5941
Reflection
• Reflected waves appear to come from an imaginary source behind the reflecting surface

s = vt
v=fλ

https://cdn1.byjus.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/physics/wp-
content/uploads/2016/08/sound-reflection_2-06.jpg
Refraction
• Refraction occurs when the speed of waves changes
– Direction of the waves changes
• propagation speed changes abruptly as wave passes from one medium to another
• Speed can also change gradually

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= = =
sin $& (& )& *%

https://www.s-cool.co.uk/assets/learn_its/gcse/physics/properties-of-
waves/refraction-of-waves_/g-phy-prowav-dia18.gif
Diffraction
• Sound waves tend to bend around an obstacle

http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk/age14-
16/Wave%20properties/text/Diffraction_/images/1.png
Interference of Sound
• Consider two harmonic waves A and B meeting at x=0
• Constructive interference
-The displacement of the disturbance of 2 waves are the same (Similar sounds
• Frequency are the same or multiple
• Destructive interference
– The displacement of the disturbance of 2 waves are the different (Unlike sounds)
• Frequency are the different or not a direct multiple.
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!" # − !% # = ' − (
2
) sin - = '(
1
) sin - = ' − (
). 2
= '(
/
). 1
= '− (
/ 2
http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/StandingWaves/Opentubeoneend.jpg
Ultrasound
• Sound waves with frequencies above the normal human range of hearing.
• Sounds in the range from 20-100kHz

Infrasound
• Sounds with frequencies below the normal human range of hearing.
• Sounds in the 20-200 Hz range

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Intensity
• Sound intensity is the sound power as it passes through a given area
• Intensity is the power per unit area of a sound.
• Sound Intensity is not the same as Sound Intensity Level.

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!=
4%& '

http://www.daviddarling.info/images_music/acoustic
_intensity.gif
Loudness
• Loudness (Decibels): We hear “loudness” not intensity, and loudness is a logarithmic scale.
• Loudness - depends on the amplitude of sound wave
• The amplitude of a wave indicates its energy. The greater the amplitude, the greater the
energy. (DB Mic. DEMO
• The intensity of a sound is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the sound wave.
• (E ≈ I ≈ A2)
)
! = 10log( )
)*

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/courses-images-archive-read-only/wp-
content/uploads/sites/222/2014/12/20105352/Figure_18_03_01ab.jpg
Sound and Pitch
• Pitch - the frequency of a sound wave
-The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies (EAR VISUAL & discussion)
• Most people cannot hear frequencies below 20Hz or above 16,000Hz
• Most people are most sensitive to frequencies between 1,000 and 5,000 Hz

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-0e3c683b2eba
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Beats
• Beats are an interference pattern in time, rather than in space. If two sounds are very close in
frequency, their sum also has a periodic time dependence, although with a much lower
frequency.
• a fractional symbol in which the numerator specifies the number of beats per bar, and the
denominator specifies the relative note value assigned to one beat

∆" = "$ − "&

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Natural Frequency & Resonance
• Natural frequency (Singing Rod DEMO)
• An object’s own set of frequencies
• Depends primarily on elasticity and shape

http://www.opti-pack.org/_/media/15676_natural%20frequency.gif
Resonance
• When the frequency of a forced vibration matches the an object’s natural frequency, a
dramatic increase in amplitude occurs.

http://faculty.sacredheart.edu/slametm/images/labimages2/exp2fig1.gif
Doppler Effect
• The apparent change in the frequency of a sound caused by the motion of either the listener
or the source of the sound.
• Doppler Shift - Change in sound frequency due to the relative motion of either the source
or the detector.
-example: a passing car
• Refers to the change in frequency when there is relative motion between an observer of
waves and the source of the waves
-Increasing Frequency when the source approaches the sensor
-Decreasing Frequency when the source increases the distance from the sensor
$ ± $&
!" = !
$ ± $' '
Moving Source
• (a) When the truck is stationary, the wavelength of the sound is the same in front of and
behind the truck. (b) When the truck is moving, the wavelength in front of the truck becomes
smaller, while the wavelength behind the truck becomes larger.

https://flypaper.soundfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/doppler-effect-header.jpg
Moving Observer
&" )"
!" = !$ + = !$ 1+
' !$ '

• Observer moving toward stationary source

&"
!" = !$ 1 +
&

• Observer moving away from stationary source

&"
!" = !$ 1 −
&
http://demo.webassign.net/ebooks/cj6demo/art/images/c16/nw0650-n.gif
Sonic Boom
• An aircraft traveling through the atmosphere continuously produces air-pressure waves similar
to the water waves caused by a ship's bow.
• When the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, these pressure waves combine and form
visible shock waves à

http://www.sa.ac.th/winyoo/Sound/Mach/sonicboomplane_navy.jpg