3.

4 Sound

Physics
Madiha Shakil
 Objectives

Describe the production of sound by vibrating sources

Describe the longitudinal nature of sound waves

Describe compression and rarefaction

State that the approximate range of audible frequencies for a healthy
human ear is 20Hz to 20000Hz

Show an understanding of the term ultrasound

Show an understanding that a medium is needed to transmit sound waves

Describe an experiment to determine the speed of sound in air

Relate the loudness and pitch of sound waves to amplitude and frequency

Describe how the reflection of sound may produce an echo

State typical values of the speed of sound in gases, liquids and solids
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.
 Show an understanding that a medium is needed to transmit sound waves

Sound 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.
Sound needs particles to travel.
Sound cannot travel through a vacuum.
Sound cannot travel through space, because there are no particles.
 Describe the production of sound by vibrating sources

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.
Propagation 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.
 Describe compression and rarefaction

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

Sound travels faster through

a solid because the particles
are more densely packed
together.
Medium Air (0°) Water Solids
Approx. 330 1500 4000 - 6000
speed of
sound (m/s)
 Describe an experiment to determine the speed of sound in air

Speed of sound in air

Objective: To measure the speed of sound in air by a direct method.


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.
 Result

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:
1. Repeat the experiment a few times and calculate the average.
2. 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.
3. Distance between observers should be long so that the measured
time could be reasonably accurate.
 Describe how the reflection of sound may produce an echo

Echo
Remember how waves show reflection, refraction and
diffraction.
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
 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.
 Solve!

A boat sends out a sound wave so that the captain can calculate
the depth of water. The captain knows that the speed of sound in
water is 1500 m/s. Calculate the depth of the sea for the given
table
Don’t forget that the sound has

Speed of sound = distance / time
2 ×distance travelled there and back so we
Speed of sound ( echo )=

will need to divide our answer
time
by two to get the depth.
Speed (m/s) Time (s)

1 1500 0.2

2 1500 1.1

3 1500 0.5

4 1500 1.6
 Answer
Speed Time Depth
(m/s) (s) (m)

1 1500 0.2 150

2 1500 1.1 825

3 1500 0.5 375

4 1500 1.6 1200

 Describing sound

Loudspeakers convert the The oscilloscope allows us

signal from the signal to study the frequency and
generator into sound waves. loudness of a sound.
Signal generators can produce
signals over a range of
frequencies and of varying
amplitudes.
 Describing sound waves

or
displacement
 Relate the loudness and pitch of sound waves to amplitude and frequency

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

A quiet sound A loud 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.

A high pitch sound A low pitch sound

Audible Frequency

Watch the video to find out the age of your ears.

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.

 Frequency

Sound has the same frequency as the
frequency of the source producing it.

When a metal strip touches the teeth of a
rotating toothed wheel, it produces sound
whose frequency is given by:
Frequency = no. of teeth x no. of revolution per second.
Show an understanding of the term ultrasound

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.
 Past papers.

31/O/N/11 Q6
31/M/J/13 Q8
31/M/J/14 Q8
31/M/J/16 Q6
31/O/N/16 Q6