Ch2 Lesson 1: The Nature of Sound

Answer Key

1. Sound - A disturbance that travels through a medium as

a longitudinal wave.

2. A sound wave begins with a vibration.

3. Vibrations disturb nearby air particles.

4. When the air particles press together, it is called

compressions.

5. When air particles bounce back and spread out, it is

called rarefraction.

6. Sounds waves carry energy through a medium without

moving the mediums particles along with it.
 7. Sound waves can diffract or bend around edges of an
opening, like a doorway.

3 Factors that Affect the Speed of Sound:

1. Temperature:
In liquids or gases sound travels -
slower at low temperatures than high temperatures

2. Stiffness:

Sound travels more quickly in stiff media because the

particles are compressed, then spread out quickly again

Solids are stiffer that liquids or gasses

Example: steel is stiffer than wood sound travels more

3. Density:

How much matter or mass there is in a given amount of

space or volume.

The more dense the material, the more mass it has

Denser materials slow sound down because it is harder
for particles to move sound waves by.