Third Year Science

Sound
 In this topic:
• Sound energy
• How sound is formed
• How sound travels
• Sound reflection
• Speed of sound
• Human ear
• Sound intensity
 Sound is a form of energy
Energy: the ability
E to do work

Energy = the ability to make things move

Can you think of examples where sound makes

things move?
Sound energy
 How is sound created?
Sound is created when objects vibrate

Example: tuning fork

 How is sound created?
Guitar strings vibrate when
plucked
 Vibrations

• Sound is produced by vibrations of the

air molecules
Sound waves
 Vibrations
• Try to vibrate your ruler
• Did it make any noise?

• Hold your hand up to your throat

• Hum or try to talk
• Did you feel vibrations?
 Vacuum
• In physics, what does a vacuum mean?

• Not a cleaning device!!

Vacuum: space that

E is empty of matter
 How sound travels

• Sound needs a medium to be transmitted

Medium Willsoundtravel?
Gas Yes
Water Yes
Solid Yes
Vacuum No
 To show that sound needs a medium
in which to travel
• Listen to bell
with pump off
• Turn pump on
to create a
vacuum
• Can you still
hear the bell?
 Sound reflection
• Like light, sound can also be reflected

Echo: Reflection Eof sound

Demonstrating reflection of sound
 Speed of sound

Speed of sound in air 340 ms-1

Speed of light in air 300,000,000 ms-1

So sound travels much slower in air

than light
Thunder and Lightning
 How do we hear sound?
1. Sound waves travel through air to our ears
2. Eardrums vibrate
3. Vibrations pass through the ear & are
changed into electrical energy
4. Neurons carry message to the brain
5. Brain interprets it
How do we hear sound?
 Sound intensity
Sound intensity:Ehow loud something is

• Measured in decibels (dB)

• Sound intensity can be measured
• Helps to measure what level is ok for humans
and what does harm
Sound intensity
 Ear protection
• Any sound over 70 dB will damage
your ears
• In workplaces: required by law to
protect ears if exposed to loud
noises
• Listening to music too loudly for too
long will also damage ears