Sound

• Explain velocity of sound in air and compare with water and metal
• Explain the effects of temperature, pressure and salinity on velocity of
sound in Sea water.
• Explain the characteristics of sound: loudness, pitch and quality. Define
decibel. State the approximate range of audible sound.
• Explain that sound follows the laws of reflection and refraction, and is
diffracted in the same way as other waves.
• Describe the application of reflection to the measurement of depth by
echo- sounder and to the ultrasonic detector for checking hatch weather
tightness.
• Explain doppler effect and applications.
 Speed of Sound Definition
• The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it
propagates through an elastic medium.
• The speed of sound is defined as the distance through which a sound wave’s point, such
as a compression or a rarefaction, travels per unit of time.
• The speed of sound remains the same for all frequencies in a given medium under the
same physical conditions.
• Sound is produced by vibrating objects.
• The matter or substance through which sound is transmitted is called a medium. It can be
solid, liquid or gas.
• Sound moves through a medium from the point of generation to the listener.
• When an object vibrates, it sets the particles of the medium around it vibrating.
• The particles do not travel all the way from the vibrating object to the ear.
Speed of Sound Formula
Since the speed of sound is the distance travelled by the sound wave in a given time, the
speed of sound can be determined by the following formula:

v=λf

Where v is the velocity, λ is the wavelength of the sound wave, and f is the frequency.

The relationship between the speed of sound, its frequency, and wavelength is the same as
for all waves. The wavelength of a sound is the distance between adjacent compressions or
rarefactions. The frequency is the same as the source’s and is the number of waves that pass
a point per unit time.

How long does it take for a sound wave of frequency 2 kHz and a wavelength of 35
cm to travel a distance of 1.5 km?
Solution:

We know that the speed of sound is given by the formula:

v=λν

Substituting the values in the equation, we get

v = 0.35 m × 2000 Hz = 700 m/s

The time taken by the sound wave to travel a distance of 1.5 km

can be calculated as follows:

Time = Distance Travelled/ Velocity

Substituting the values in the equation, we get

Time = 1500 m/ 700 m/s = 2.1 s

Speed of Sound in Various Media
The speed of sound varies greatly in different media. The speed of sound in a medium depends on how quickly
vibrational energy can be transferred through the medium. For this reason, the derivation of the speed of sound
in a medium depends on the medium and on the state of the medium. In general, the equation for the speed of
a mechanical wave in a medium depends on the square root of the restoring force, or the elastic property,
divided by the inertial property,
𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦
𝑣=
𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦

In a fluid, the speed of sound depends on the bulk modulus and the Density
𝑣 = B/(ρ)
The speed of sound in a solid the depends on the Young’s modulus of the medium and the density 𝑣 = Y/(ρ)
In an ideal gas (see The Kinetic Theory of Gases), the equation for the speed of sound is
𝑣 = γRT/(𝑀)

Γ is the adiabatic index, R = 8.31 J/mol

• K is the gas constant,
TK is the absolute temperature in kelvins, and
M is the molecular mass
Factors Affecting the Speed of Sound
Density and temperature of the medium in which the sound wave travels affect the speed of
sound.

Density of the Medium

When the medium is dense, the molecules in the medium are closely packed, which means
that the sound travels faster. Therefore, the speed of sound increases as the density of the
medium increases.

Temperature of the Medium

The speed of sound is directly proportional to the temperature. Therefore, as the temperature
increases, the speed of sound increases.
Speed of Sound in Different Media
The speed of the sound depends on the density and the elasticity of the medium through
which it travels. In general, sound travels faster in liquids than in gases and quicker in solids
than in liquids. The greater the elasticity and the lower the density, the faster sound travels in a
medium.

Speed of Sound in Solid

Sound is nothing more than a disturbance propagated by the collisions between the particles,
one molecule hitting the next and so forth. Solids are significantly denser than liquids or gases,
and this means that the molecules are closer to each other in solids than in liquids and liquids
than in gases. This closeness due to density means that they can collide very quickly. Effectively
it takes less time for a molecule of a solid to bump into its neighbouring molecule. Due to this
advantage, the velocity of sound in a solid is faster than in a gas.

The speed of sound in solid is 6000 metres per second, while the speed of sound in steel is
equal to 5100 metres per second. Another interesting fact about the speed of sound is that
sound travels 35 times faster in diamonds than in the air.
Speed of Sound in Liquid
Similarly, the density of a liquid is greater than the density of a gas. Therefore the distances
between molecules are more in liquids than in solids but are less than in gases. Hence the
speed of sound in liquids lies in between the speed of sound in solids and gases.

Speed of Sound in Water

The speed of sound in water is more than that of the air, and sound travels faster in water
than in the air. The speed of sound in water is 1480 metres per second. It is also interesting
that the speed may vary between 1450 to 1498 metres per second in distilled water. In
contrast, seawater’s speed is 1531 metres per second when the temperature is between
20oC to 25oC.
Speed of Sound in Gas
We should remember that the speed of sound is independent of the density of the medium
when it enters a liquid or solid. Since gases expand to fill the given space, density is relatively
uniform irrespective of gas type, which isn’t the case with solids and liquids. The velocity of
sound in gases is proportional to the square root of the absolute temperature (measured in
Kelvin). Still, it is independent of the frequency of the sound wave or the pressure and the
density of the medium. But none of the gases we find in real life is ideal gases, and this
causes the properties to change slightly. The velocity of sound in air at 20oC is 343.2 m/s
which translates to 1,236 km/h.

Speed of Sound in Vacuum

The speed of sound in a vacuum is zero metres per second, as there are no particles
present in the vacuum. The sound waves travel in a medium when there are particles for
the propagation of these sound waves. Since the vacuum is an empty space, there is no
propagation of sound waves.
Basic parameters of sound wave
1. Period (Time)
• It’s the time taken for a particle to complete one
vibrational cycle.
• So, it’s the duration of one full cycle.
• P (period ) = T2 – T1
T1: time at the beginning of the cycle.
T2: time at the end of the cycle.
• It’s measured in seconds, miliseconds…etc
2. Amplitude
• It is the maximum positive displacement of the particles from the undisturbed position of
the medium to the top of a crest".
It’s a magnitude, number, represents how big the wave is.
It is measured in sound pressure level for sounds. (SPL)
• The greater the displacement, the louder the sound heard .
• The amplitude reflects the energy in the wave, low energy represented by a wave with
short amplitude and vice versa.
The amount of energy a sound wave owns reflects how intense the sound is. (Intensity)
• So, the larger the amplitude ( greater particles displacement), the greater the owned
energy, the greater intensity sound has, the louder sound would be heard.
Loudness is the perceptual concept of the intensity.
• It’s the human perception of the intensity.
• It’s measured in Decibels (dB)
• dB : deci ( a unit), Bell ( a scientist name, Graham Bell)
• Because humans can hear a wide range of sound pressures, a log scale is used to
condense the scale.
3. Wavelength
• It is the distance between identical points in the adjacent cycles of a waveform.
• The distance between 2 peaks (crests) or 2 troughs in the waveform.

4. Frequency
• It’s the number of complete cycles per a unit of time.
• It’s measured in cycles per second or a unit Hertz (Hz) can be used.
• The Frequency is the reciprocal of the pitch
• Frequency and period are inversely related
F = 1/ T , T = 1/F
• Human ear can hear from 20-20000 Hz.
• Pitch is the perceptual correlate of the frequency.
• High frequency sounds, perceived with high pitch.
• Low frequency sounds, perceived with low pitch.
5. Phase
• Any points in sine wave ( expressed in degrees), may be compared
to standards
• The standard considered to be as (0) degree
• If the oscillation begun at 0 or 360 degree, it said to be in phase with
the standard
• If the oscillation begun at any points other than 0 or 360 degrees, it
stated to be out of phase from the standard
 Characteristics of Sound
Differentiate between the sounds
There are 3 charcateristics
a) Loudness
b) Pitch
c) Quality

Loudness: The amplitude of a sound wave determines its

loudness or volume. A larger amplitude means a louder sound,
and a smaller amplitude means a softer sound

In this figure sound C is louder than sound B. The vibration of a source sets the amplitude of
a wave. It transmits energy into the medium through its vibration. More energetic vibration
corresponds to larger amplitude. The molecules move back and forth more vigorously.
The loudness of a sound is also determined by the sensitivity of the ear. The human ear is
more sensitive to some frequencies than to others. The volume we receive thus depends on
both the amplitude of a sound wave and whether its frequency lies in a region where the ear
is more or less sensitive.
 Characteristics of Sound
1. Loudness is directly proportional to square of the amplitude
2. Loudness is inversely proportional to the square of the distance
3. Depend upon the density of the medium
4. Depend upon the surface area of the vibrating body
Unit : The SI unit of sound is phon. Phon is defined as the number
of decibels of a sound whose frequency is 1000 Hertz.
Pindrop – 0 Decibel
Whisper – 30 Db
Conversation – 50Db

Pitch: The frequency of a sound wave is what your ear understands as pitch. A higher frequency sound has a
higher pitch, and a lower frequency sound has a lower pitch.
In figure sound A has a higher pitch than sound B. For instance, the chirp of a bird would have a high pitch, but
the roar of a lion would have a low pitch.
The human ear can detect a wide range of frequencies. Frequencies from 20 to 20 000 Hz are audible to the
human ear. Any sound with a frequency below 20 Hz is known as an infrasound and any sound with a frequency
above 20 000 Hz is known as an ultrasound.
Quality:
The quality or timbre of sound is that characteristic which enables us to distinguish one
sound from another having the same pitch and loudness. The sound which is more pleasant
is said to be of a rich quality.
Quality is the characteristic of sound wave that distinguishes two sound waves (generally
produced from different sources) having same loudness and pitch. It depends on the shape
of the waveform.
For example, it is possible for a note produced by a flute and a piano to have same pitch
and loudness, but always sound different.
Reflection of Sound
Just like the reflection of light, the reflection of sound is similar as it follows the laws of
reflections, where the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence and the
reflected sound, the incident sound, and the normal sound belong in the same plane.

Sound bounces off the surface of the medium which can be a solid or a liquid. In order to
make the reflection of sound to occur, the surface can be of large size and can be either
rough or polished.
 Laws of Reflection of Sound
• The angle of reflection is always equal to the angle of incidence .
• The reflected sound, the incident sound, and the normal sound belong in the same
plane.
Applications of Reflection of Sound

Echo: The sound heard after reflections from a rigid surface such as a cliff or a wall is called an
echo creating a persistence of sound even after the source of sound has stopped vibrating.

The echo is used by bats and dolphins to detect obstacles or to navigate.

The same principle is used in SONAR (Sound Navigation And Ranging technique), used in
oceanographic studies. SONAR is used for the detection and location of unseen underwater
objects, such as submerged submarines, sunken ships, and icebergs.

In SONAR, ultrasonic waves are sent in all directions from the ship and the received signal is
analysed.
Refraction of Sound
The bending of the sound waves when they enter a medium where the speed is different is known as the refraction of
sound.