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Chapter 12: Sound: A Special Kind of Wave

The document discusses the characteristics of sound as a longitudinal mechanical wave that travels through a medium and requires a source such as a vibrating object. Sound waves transfer energy through the medium and are detected by receptors like ears. Musical instruments produce sound waves through vibrations at resonant frequencies determined by factors like tube or string length and tension.

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Kalpana Dwivedi
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38 views22 pages

Chapter 12: Sound: A Special Kind of Wave

The document discusses the characteristics of sound as a longitudinal mechanical wave that travels through a medium and requires a source such as a vibrating object. Sound waves transfer energy through the medium and are detected by receptors like ears. Musical instruments produce sound waves through vibrations at resonant frequencies determined by factors like tube or string length and tension.

Uploaded by

Kalpana Dwivedi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 12: Sound

• A few (selected) topics on sound


• Sound: A special kind of wave.
• Sound waves: Longitudinal mechanical waves in a medium
(not necessarily air!).
– Another definition of sound (relevant to biology): A physical
sensation that stimulates the ears.
• Sound waves:
– Need a source: A vibrating object
– Energy is transferred from source through medium with
longitudinal waves.
– Detected by some detector (could be electronic detector or
ears).
Section 12-1: Characteristics of Sound
• Sound: Longitudinal mechanical wave in medium
– Source: A vibrating object (like a drum head).
• Sound: A longitudinal mechanical wave
traveling in any medium.

• Needs a medium in which to travel!


– Cannot travel in a vacuum.
 Science fiction movies (Star Trek, Star Wars), in
which sounds of battle are heard through vacuum of
space are WRONG!!

• Speed of sound: Depends on the medium!


Speed of Sound

10
• Loudness: Related to sound wave energy (next
section).

• Pitch: Pitch  Frequency (f)


– Human Ear: Responds to frequencies in the range:
20 Hz  f  20,000 Hz
f > 20,000 Hz  Ultrasonic
f < 20 Hz  Infrasonic
Example 12-2
• Sound waves can be considered pressure waves:
Section 12-2: Sound Intensity
• Loudness: A sensation, but also related to
sound wave intensity.

• From Ch. 11: Intensity of wave:


I  (Power)/(Area) = P/A (W/m2)

• Also, from Ch. 11: Intensity of spherical wave:


I  (1/r2)
 (I2/I1) = (r1)2/(r2)2
• “Loudness” A subjective sensation, but also
made quantitative using sound wave intensity.
• Human Ear: Can detect sounds of intensity:
10-12 W/m2  I  1 W/m2
• Sounds with I > 1 W/m2 are painful!
– Note that the range of I varies over 1012!
“Loudness” increases with I, but is not simply  I
Loudness
• The larger the sound intensity I, the louder the sound.
But a sound 2  as loud requires a 10  increase in I!
– Instead of I, conventional loudness scale uses
log10(I) (logarithm to the base 10)
• Loudness Unit  bel or (1/10) bel  decibel (dB)
• Define: Loudness of sound, intensity I (measured in
decibels): β  10 log10(I/I0)
I0 = A reference intensity  Minimum intensity
sound a human ear can hear
I0  1.0  10-12 W/m2
• Loudness of sound, intensity I (in decibels):
β  10 log10(I/I0), I0  1.0  10-12 W/m2
– For example the loudness of a sound with intensity I
= 1.0  10-10 W/m2 is:
β = 10 log10(I/I0) = 10 log10(102) = 20 dB
• Quick logarithm review (See Appendix A):
log10(1) = 0, log10(10) = 1, log10(102) = 2
log10(10n) = n, log10(a/b) = log10(a) - log10(b)
• Increase I by a factor of 10:
 Increase loudness β by 10 dB
Loudness Intensity
Section 12-4: Sound Sources

• Source of sound  Any vibrating object!


• Musical instruments: Cause vibrations by
– Blowing, striking, plucking, bowing, …
• These vibrations are standing waves produced
by the source: Vibrations at the natural
(resonant) frequencies.
• Pitch of musical instrument: Determined by
lowest resonant frequency: The fundamental.
• Frequencies for
musical notes
• Recall: Standing waves on strings (instruments):
Only allowed frequencies ( harmonics) are:
fn = (v/λn) = (½)n(v/L)
fn = nf1 , n = 1, 2, 3, …
f1 = (½)(v/L)
 fundamental
Mainly use f1
Change by changing L
(with finger or bow)
Also change by changing tension FT & thus v:
v = [FT/(m/L)]½
• Stringed instruments (standing waves with
nodes at both ends): Fundamental frequency
L = (½)λ1  λ1 = 2L  f1 = (v/λ1) = (½)(v/L)

• Put finger (or bow) on string: Choose L & thus


fundamental f1. Vary L, get different f1.

• Vary tension FT & m/L & get different v:


v = [FT/(m/L)]½ & thus different f1.
• Guitar & all stringed instruments have sounding
boards or boxes to amplify the sound!

• Examples
12-7 & 12-8
• Wind instruments: Use standing waves (in
air) within tubes or pipes.
– Strings: standing waves  Nodes at
both ends.

• Tubes: Similar to strings, but also different!


Closed end of tube must be a node, open
end must be antinode!
Standing Waves: Open-Open Tubes
Standing Waves: Open-Closed Tubes
• Summary: Wind instruments:

• Tube open at both ends: Standing waves:


Pressure nodes (displacement antinodes) both
ends:
• Fundamental frequency & harmonics:
L = (½)λ1  λ1 = 2L  f1 = (v/λ1) = (½)(v/L)
fn = (v/λn) = (½)n(v/L) or
fn = nf1 , n = 1, 2, 3, …
Basically the same as for strings.
• Summary: Wind instruments :
• Tube closed at one end: Standing waves:
Pressure node (displacement antinode) at end.
Pressure antinode (displacement node) at the
other end.
• Fundamental frequency & harmonics:
L = (¼)λ1  λ1 = 4L  f1 = (v/λ1) = (¼)(v/L)
fn = (v/λn) = (¼)n(v/L) or
fn = nf1 , n = 1, 3, 5,… (odd harmonics only!)
Very different than for strings & tubes open at both ends.

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