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Sound Notes

This document provides an overview of key concepts about sound, including: - Sound is a pressure variation transmitted through matter as a sound wave. It requires particles to travel and cannot exist in a vacuum. - Sound is produced by vibrating objects and its wavelength can be calculated from its frequency and the speed of sound. - The Doppler effect describes how the observed frequency of a wave is changed by motion of the source or observer. - Resonance occurs when a vibrating air column is driven at its natural frequency, determining the pitches of organ pipes based on their open or closed ends. - Beats are caused by the interference of two sounds waves of slightly different frequencies during superposition.

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247 views13 pages

Sound Notes

This document provides an overview of key concepts about sound, including: - Sound is a pressure variation transmitted through matter as a sound wave. It requires particles to travel and cannot exist in a vacuum. - Sound is produced by vibrating objects and its wavelength can be calculated from its frequency and the speed of sound. - The Doppler effect describes how the observed frequency of a wave is changed by motion of the source or observer. - Resonance occurs when a vibrating air column is driven at its natural frequency, determining the pitches of organ pipes based on their open or closed ends. - Beats are caused by the interference of two sounds waves of slightly different frequencies during superposition.

Uploaded by

api-277818647
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Sound (Chapter 15)

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Properties of Sound
A

sound wave is a pressure variation that


is transmitted through matter
Sound cannot travel in a vacuum because
there are no particles to move and collide

Sound

is produced by a vibrating object

Recall:

1/=
=

Practice Problem
A

tuning fork produces a sound wave in


air with frequency of 261.6 Hz. The speed
of sound at room temperature is 343 m/s.
What is the wavelength?

Properties of Sound
Sound

levels are
measured on a
logarithmic scale in
decibels (dB)
The human ear can hear
frequencies ranging from
20 Hz-16,000 Hz

The Doppler Effect


Doppler

shift is the change in frequency of a


wave for an observer moving relative to its
source (or source relative to observer)
Radar detectors use this effect to measure speed.
d=s(sound+d)/(sound-s)

Practice Problem
A

train is traveling at 31 m/s blows its 305-Hz


horn as it moves towards the station. What
frequency is detected by a:
Car parked at station?
Another train moving towards the first at 21 m/s?
d=s(sound+d)/(sound-s)

Listening
In

order to detect sound the kinetic energy of


vibrating molecules is converted into another
form of energy
Microphones convert sound waves electrical energy
Human ear translates sound vibrations into nerve
impulses

Resonance in Air Columns

Resonance increases
the amplitude of a
vibration by repeatedly
applying an external
force at the same
natural frequency.
The length of air column
determines the
frequencies of the
vibrating air that will be
set into resonance

Practice Problem
The

lowest note on an organ is 16.4 Hz.

What is the shortest open organ pipe that will


resonate at this frequency?

What would be the pitch if the same organ pipe


were closed?

Sound Quality
The lowest resonate frequency of an instrument is
called the fundamental, 1
Higher resonant frequencies are called harmonics

Open pipes, i.e. oboes, resonate at multiples of 1


where 1=sound/2L
Closed pipes, i.e. clarinets, resonate in odd number
multiples where 1=sound/4L
Fundamental

and its harmonics are related by


octaves. Two frequencies that differ by an octave
are related by a 1:2 ratio.

Practice Problems
A

flautist plays a note with a frequency of


370-Hz. What are the second, and third
harmonics of this open pipe flute? What is
the length?

Middle

C has a frequency of 264 Hz.

What is the frequency of the first octave about C?


The first below?

Beat: oscillation of wave amplitude


Occurs

as a result of the superposition of two


sound waves of slightly different frequencies.

Practice Problem
One

tuning fork has a 445-Hz pitch. When a


second fork is struck, beat notes occur with
a frequency of 3 Hz. What are the two
possible frequencies of the second fork?

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