Sound, Vibration and Wave

● Sound travels on a longitudinal wave. Sound travels by compressions and

rarefactions.
● Sound waves travel through different materials at different speeds.
● The speed of sound is usually fastest in solids, where molecules are closest
together, and slowest in gas, where molecules are farthest apart.
● In a vacuum (such as space), there are no particles to vibrate. So, no sound
can be made
● A sound wave will undergo certain behaviors when it encounters the end of the
medium or an obstacle. Possible behaviors include absorption, reflection,
diffraction, and refraction.
○ Reflection → The bouncing back of waves after striking an object.
■ An echo is a reflected sound.
○ A hard, smooth surface (cardboard) reflects sound better than an uneven,
soft surface (pillow). This is because the soft surface absorbs most of the
sound.
○ Diffraction → Occurs when an object causes a wave to change and
bend around it.
○ Refraction → The bending of waves due to a change in speed when
traveling in different mediums. Ex. Pencil in water
■ The speed and wavelength of a wave changes during refraction.
● What is interference?
○ When two or more waves arrive at the same time.
○ Constructive interference.
■ When the crest of one wave meets the crest of another (trough to
trough)
○ Destructive Interference.
■ When the crest of one wave meets the trough of another.
● Pitch → rate at which the vibrations are produced.
 ○ The higher the frequency (more waves per second), the higher the
pitch.

● Intensity → how loud or soft a sound is perceived to be.

○ Loudness of Sound in Decibels

Sound Loudness (decibels) Hearing Damage

Average Home 40-50

Loud Music 90-100 After long exposure

Rock Concert 115-120 Progressive

Jet Engine 120-170 Pain

● 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.
● Audability → Sounds we can hear

Spherical Mirrors → Mirrors whose reflecting surface is curved

General Formula For Mirror And Lens
● F = focus or focal length of mirror
● R = radius of the curvature mirror ( R = 2 F )
● So = distance of the object to mirror
● Si = distance of the image to mirror
● Ho = the height of object
● Hi = the height of image
● M = magnification of the image
● (all quantities in unit of cm)

Concave Mirror & Convex Lens

Convex Mirror & Concave Lens