Sound and Music: Chapter Outline || About the Tutorial || Tutorial Topics || Usage Policy || Feedback

Lesson 1: The Nature of a Sound Wave

Mechanical Wa e !ongitudinal Wa e Pressure Wa e

Lesson 2: Sound Properties and Their Perception

Pitch and Frequency
A sound *a e+ like any other *a e+ is introduced into a (ediu( by a ibrating ob,ect- The ibrating ob,ect is the source o& the disturbance *hich (o es through the (ediu(- The ibrating ob,ect *hich creates the disturbance could be the ocal chords o& a person+ the ibrating string and sound board o& a guitar or iolin+ the ibrating tines o& a tuning &ork+ or the ibrating diaphrag( o& a radio speaker- .egardless o& *hat ibrating ob,ect is creating the sound *a e+ the particles o& the (ediu( through *hich the sound (o es is ibrating in a back and &orth (otion at a gi en frequency- The &re"uency o& a *a e re&ers to ho* o&ten the particles o& the (ediu( ibrate *hen a *a e passes through the (ediu(- The &re"uency o& a *a e is (easured as the nu(ber o& co(plete back/and/&orth ibrations o& a particle o& the (ediu( per unit o& ti(e- #& a particle o& air undergoes 0111 longitudinal ibrations in 2 seconds+ then the &re"uency o& the *a e *ould be 311 ibrations per second- A co((only used unit &or &re"uency is the 'ert4 5abbre iated '46+ *here 1 Hertz = 1 vi ration!second As a sound *a e (o es through a (ediu(+ each particle o& the (ediu( ibrates at the sa(e &re"uency- This is sensible since each particle ibrates due to the (otion o& its nearest neighbor- The &irst particle o& the (ediu( begins ibrating+ at say 311 '4+ and begins to set the second particle into ibrational (otion at the sa(e &re"uency o& 311 '4- The second particle begins ibrating at 311 '4 and thus sets the third particle o& the (ediu( into ibrational (otion at 311 '4- The process continues throughout the (ediu(7 each particle ibrates at the sa(e &re"uency- And o& course the &re"uency at *hich each particle ibrates is the sa(e as the &re"uency o& the original source o& the sound *a e- Subse"uently+ a guitar string ibrating at 311 '4 *ill set the air particles in the roo( ibrating at the sa(e &re"uency o& 311 '4 *hich carries a sound signal to the ear o& a listener *hich is detected as a 311 '4 sound *a eThe back/and/&orth ibrational (otion o& the particles o& the (ediu( *ould not be the only obser able pheno(enon occurring at a gi en &re"uency- Since a sound *a e is a pressure *a e+ a detector could be used to detect oscillations in pressure &ro( a high pressure to a lo* pressure and back to a high pressure- As the co(pressions 5high pressure6 and rare&actions 5lo* pressure6 (o e through the (ediu(+ they *ould reach the detector at a

Lesson 2: Sound Propert ies and Their Percept ion

Pitch and Fre"uency #ntensity$%ecib el Scale The Speed o& Sound The 'u(an )ar

Lesson ": #ehavio r of Sound Waves

#nter&erence and 8eats The %oppler )&&ect and Shock Wa es 8oundary 8eha ior .e&lection+ .e&raction+ and %i&&raction

gi en &re"uency- For e;a(ple+ a co(pression *ould reach the detector 311 ti(es per second i& the &re"uency o& the *a e *ere 311 '4- Si(ilarly+ a rare&action *ould reach the detector 311 ti(es per second i& the &re"uency o& the *a e *ere 311 '4- The &re"uency o& a sound *a e not only re&ers to the nu(ber o& back/and/&orth ibrations o& the particles per unit o& ti(e+ but also re&ers to the nu(ber o& co(pressions or rare&actions *hich pass a gi en point per unit o& ti(e- A detector could be used to detect the &re"uency o& these pressure oscillations o er a gi en period o& ti(e- The typical output pro ided by such a detector is a pressure/ti(e plot as sho*n belo*-

Lesson $: %esona nce and Standin & Waves

9atural Fre"uency Forced :ibration Standing Wa e Patterns

Since a pressure/ti(e plot sho*s the &luctuations in pressure o er ti(e+ the period o& the sound *a e can be &ound by (easuring the ti(e bet*een successi e high pressure points 5corresponding to the co(pressions6 or the ti(e bet*een successi e lo* pressure points 5corresponding to the rare&actions6- As discussed in an earlier unit+ the &re"uency is si(ply the reciprocal o& the period- For this reason+ a sound *a e *ith a high &re"uency *ould correspond to a pressure ti(e plot *ith a s(all period / that is+ a plot corresponding to a s(all a(ount o& ti(e bet*een successi e high pressure points- Con ersely+ a sound *a e *ith a lo* &re"uency *ould correspond to a pressure ti(e plot *ith a large period / that is+ a plot corresponding to a large a(ount o& ti(e bet*een successi e high pressure points- The diagra( belo* sho*s t*o pressure/ti(e plots+ one corresponding to a high &re"uency and the other to a lo* &re"uency-

Funda(ental Fre"uency and 'ar(onics

Lesson ': (usica) *nstru+ ents

.esonance <uitar Strings Open/)nd Air Colu(ns Closed/)nd Air Colu(ns

The ears o& a hu(an 5and other ani(als6 are sensiti e detectors capable o& detecting the &luctuations in air pressure *hich i(pinge upon the eardru(- The (echanics o& the ear=s detection ability *ill be discussed later in this lesson- For no*+ it is su&&icient to say that the hu(an ear is capable o& detecting sound *a es *ith a *ide range o& &re"uencies+ ranging bet*een appro;i(ately 21 '4 to 21 111 '4- Any sound *ith a &re"uency belo* the audible range o& hearing 5i-e-+ less than 21 '46 is kno*n as an infrasound and any sound *ith a &re"uency abo e the audible range o& hearing 5i-e-+ (ore than 21 111 '46 is kno*n as an u)trasound- 'u(ans are not alone in their ability to detect a *ide range o& &re"uencies%ogs can detect &re"uencies as lo* as appro;i(ately 31 '4 and as high as >3 111 '4- Cats can detect &re"uencies as lo* as appro;i(ately >3 '4 and as high as ?3 111 '4- 8ats+ being nocturnal creature+ (ust rely on sound echolocation &or na igation and hunting- 8ats can detect &re"uencies as high as 021 111 '4- %olphins can detect &re"uencies as high as 211 111 '4- While dogs+ cats+ bats+ and dolphins ha e an unusual ability to detect ultrasound+ an elephant possesses the unusual ability to detect in&rasound+ ha ing an audible range &ro( appro;i(ately 3 '4 to appro;i(ately 01 111 '4The sensation o& a &re"uencies is co((only re&erred to as the pitch o& a sound- A high pitch sound corresponds to a high &re"uency sound *a e and a lo* pitch sound corresponds to a lo* &re"uency sound *a e- A(a4ingly+ (any people+ especially those *ho ha e been (usically trained+ are capable o& detecting a di&&erence in &re"uency bet*een t*o separate sounds *hich is as little as 2 '4- When t*o sounds *ith a &re"uency di&&erence o& greater than @ '4 are played si(ultaneously+ (ost people are capable o& detecting the presence o& a co(ple; *a e pattern resulting &ro( the inter&erence and superposition o& the t*o sound *a es- Certain sound *a es *hen played 5and heard6 si(ultaneously *ill produce a particularly pleasant sensation *hen heard+ are are said to be consonant- Such sound *a es &or( the basis o& interva)s in (usic- For e;a(ple+ any t*o sounds *hose &re"uencies (ake a 2:0 ratio are said to be separated by an octave and result in a particularly pleasing sensation *hen heard- That is+ t*o sound *a es sound good *hen played together i& one sound has t*ice the &re"uency o& the other- Si(ilarly t*o sounds *ith a &re"uency ratio o& 3:> are said to be separated by an inter al o& a third7 such sound *a es also sound good *hen played together- );a(ples o& other sound *a e inter als and their respecti e &re"uency ratios are listed in the table belo**nterva) Octa e Third Fourth Fi&th Frequency %atio 2:0 3:> >:B B:2 ,-a+p)es 302 '4 and 23A '4 B21 '4 and 23A '4 B>2 '4 and 23A '4 B?> '4 and 23A '4

The ability o& hu(ans to percei e pitch is associated *ith the &re"uency o& the sound *a e *hich i(pinges upon the ear- 8ecause sound *a es tra eling through air are longitudinal *a es *hich produce high/ and lo*/pressure disturbances o& the particles o& the air at a gi en &re"uency+ the ear has an ability to detect such &re"uencies and associate the( *ith the pitch o& the sound- 8ut pitch is not the only property o& a sound *a e detectable by the hu(an ear- #n the ne;t part o& !esson 2+ *e *ill in estigate the ability o& the ear to percei e the intensity o& a sound *a e-

.hec/ 0our 1nderstandin&

0- T*o notes *hich ha e a &re"uency ratio o& 2:0 are said to be separated by an octa e- A &re"uency *hich is separated by an octa e &ro( (iddle C 523A '46 is a- 02? '4 d- B>3 '4 b- 23> '4 e- none o& these c- 23? '4

Lesson 2: Sound Properties and Their Perception

Pitch and Fre"uency #ntensity and the %ecibel Scale The Speed o& Sound The 'u(an )ar <o to !esson B

Sound and Music: Chapter Outline || About the Tutorial || Tutorial Topics || Usage Policy || Feedback

Other .esources: Physics 'o(e Page || Multi(edia Physics Studios || Shock*a e Physics Studios || Minds On Physics #nternet Modules || The .e ie* Session C To( 'enderson 0DDA/211@