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Sounds and Waves Unit 6

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6 views28 pages

Sounds and Waves Unit 6

Uploaded by

harshitha.h.feb15
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Waves and Sounds

Harshitha Harisha IGCSE Physics A*


Types of waves
Transverse and longitudinal waves
Examples

Transverse waves: Longitudinal waves:


Electromagnetic Waves: Sound waves
• Radio waves Primary waves
• Microwaves
• Infrared
• Light
• Ultraviolet
• X- rays
• Gamma rays
Secondary waves
Primary and
secondary
waves
Describing waves
• Speed: speed of waves (m/s)
• Frequency: no of oscillations per second (1/period)
• Wavelength: This is the distance between any point on a wave and
the point of equivalent point on the next.
• Amplitude: Max distance a point moves from its rest position when a
wave passes
The wave equation

Speed = Frequency x Wavelength


if the frequency increases, the wavelength must
decrease to maintain a constant speed, and vice versa.
If frequency is unchanged, speed decreases and
wavelength decrease.
Higher the frequency, shorter the wavelength.
Ripple tank
Reflection
Refraction
Diffraction
Loudspeaker vibrates -> squashes
and stretches the air in front ->
Travels through the air -> reach
your ears -> ear drums vibrate ->
hear the sound
Nature of sound

Sound waves need a


Sound waves are Sound waves are
medium to travel
caused vibration longitudinal waves
through

Sound waves travel


Sound waves can be
through solids, Sound waves can be
refracted and
liquids, gases (travel diffracted
reflected
fastest through solid)
Displaying sounds

Oscilloscope uses a spot to It moves steadily sideways


Vibration changes to
oscillate up and down on at the same time producing
electrical oscillations
the screen a wave called waveform

• Displayed graphically on oscilloscope


• The waveform is a graph showing how the air pressure at the microphone varies with time.
• It is not a picture of the sound waves
Reducing Sounds

Need material to
Hard surfaces can
absorb the energy
reflect echoes
in sound waves
The speed of sound is 330m/s
• Depends on the temperature of the air
• Does not depend on the pressure of the air
• Different through different materials
Refraction of
sound
Echoes
2𝑑
• Speed of sound =
𝐸𝑐ℎ𝑜 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
• Echo time: the time taken for the sound to travel back to where it
came from
• Devices that uses this principle: Echo sounder, Radar, Parking sensors
Frequency and Pitch

FREQUENCY IS HIGH FREQUENCY: LOW FREQUENCY: LOW HUMAN HEARING: 20


MEASURED IN HERDZ HIGH PITCH PITCH HZ TO 20000 HZ
(HZ)
Amplitude and loudness
Higher the amplitude, higher the loudness
Human
hearing range
• 20 Hz to 20000 Hz
• Above that is ultrasound
Uses of ultrasound

• Cleaning and breaking


• Echo-sounding
• Metal testing (detect flaws in metal)
• Scanning womb
Why is ultrasound much
safer than using X-rays?

• X-rays can cause cell damage inside a


growing baby
• Ultrasound can distinguish between
different layers of soft tissue which a
X-rays can’t.

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