3.

4 Sound
Chapter 3: Properties of Waves including Light and Sound

Sound:
Sound is a form of energy that is transferred from one point to another as a longitudinal wave.
It is a mechanical wave – requires a medium (solid, liquid or gas) to travel.
It is longitudinal – the waves travel parallel to the direction of vibration of medium.

Medium:
Sound requires a medium to travel.
Sound is made up of the vibration of atoms and molecules
passing through a substance, and without atoms or
molecules (i.e. in a vacuum) sound cannot travel.
Experiment to show sound requires a
medium:
• Using a setup like this, without turning on the pump,
ring the bell and observe the sound.
• As the vacuum pump is switched on, air is drawn out
of the bell jar. The bell begins to get quieter.
• Eventually, all of the air particles will have been
drawn out of the bell jar.
• We can see the bell ringing, but we can’t hear it.
Observation:
• Sound needs particles to travel.
• Sound cannot travel through a vacuum.
• Sound cannot travel through space, because there are
no particles.

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Production of Sound:
When a drum is struck, the skin vibrates backwards and
forwards very quickly, sending sound waves through the air to
your ears.
Sound is produced by vibrating sources placed in a medium.

Propogation of Sound:
An object vibrating in air causes the layers of air particles around it to be displaced. This displacement
of particles causes sound waves to propogate.
We cannot see the displacement of air particles, but if we dip a vibrating tuning fork in water, it will
cause the water to be displaced.
The direction of vibration of particles is parallel to the direction in which the wave travels.

Sound Wave:
Longitudinal wave – sound waves propogate as a series of compressions (C) and rarefactions (R).
Compressions: Region where air pressure and density is higher than the surrounding air pressure and
density
Rarefactions: Region where air pressure and density is lower than the surrounding air pressure and
density.

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Speed of Sound:
Speed of Sound
Depends upon the temperature of Does not depend upon the It is different through different
the air. Sound travels faster pressure of the air. If materials. e.g. fastest through
through hot air than cold air. atmospheric pressure changes, solids, then liquids then gases.
speed of sound does not

Sound travels faster

through a solid because
the particles are more
densely packed together.

Medium Solid Water Air (0°)

Speed of Sound (m/s) 4000 - 6000 1500 330

Determining Speed of Sound in Air:

Procedure:
• Using a measuring tape, observers A
and B are positioned at a known
distance s apart in an open field.
• Observer A fires a starting pistol.
• On seeing a flash of the starting pistol,
observer B starts the stopwatch and
then stops it when he hears the sound.
• The time interval t is then recorded.
Data:
• distance s travelled by sound: 800m
• Time taken t = 2.4s
Distance s travelled by sound 800 m
The speed of sound in air= = =333 m/s
time taken t 2.4 s
Accuracy can be improved:
• Repeat the experiment a few times and calculate the average.
• Repeat the experiment but with the positions of observers A and B interchanged to cancel the
effect of wind on the speed of sound in air.
• Distance between observers should be long so that the measured time could be reasonably
accurate.

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Echo:
An echo is the repetition of sound due to the
reflection of sound.
Stand 50 m from a large unobstructed wall and clap
your hands once. The sound is reflected by the wall
and you hear the sound of clap repeated after a
moment - Echo
2× distance
Speed of sound ( echo )=
time

Don’t forget that the sound has travelled there and back so we will need to divide our answer by
two to get the depth.

Uses of Echo:
• Measures large distances.
• Detect the location of objects (i.e. echolocation)
• SONAR – Sound navigation and ranging – used by ships for navigation at sea and to detect
positions of other vessels.

Describing Sounds:

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Loudness:
Loudness is related to amplitude of the sound wave
– the larger the amplitude, the louder the sound.
(Higher energy, louder sound)

Pitch:
Pitch is related to the frequency of a sound wave. It
indicates the sharpness of sound.
Sharp sound has high frequency (short wavelength) and
high pitch.

Audible Frequency:
Audible – able to hear.
Humans can hear from 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz.
Lower limit of audibility – 20 Hz
Upper limit of audibility – 20 000 Hz.

Ultrasound:
Ultrasound is sound with frequencies above the upper limit of the human range of audibility (sounds
above 20 000 Hz).
Uses:
Quality control – check for cracks in concrete, metal pipes and thickness of wooden boards.
Ultrsound scanning – used to obtain images of structures in the body. Development of foetuses.
Ultrasound pulses are sent into womb of a pregnant woman via a transmitter. By measuring the time
taken for the ultrasound to be reflected, the depth of the reflecting surface within the womb can be
derived and an image is formed.

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