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F REQUENCY (f): The number of wavelengths to
pass a point per second. In this case the frequency
would be 3 per second. Wave frequency is often
spoken of as “waves per second,” “pulses per second,”
or “cycles per second.” However, the SI unit for
frequency is the Hertz (Hz). 1 Hz = 1 per second, so
in the case of this illustration, f = 3 Hz.
P ERIOD (T): The time it takes for one full
wavelength to pass a certain point. If you see three
wavelengths pass your foot every second, then the
time for each wavelength to pass is 13 of a second.
Period and frequency are reciprocals of each other:
† Indeed, every time the fork moves back and forth it
1 1
T= and f =
f T
S PEED (v) Average speed is always a ratio of
† to time, v = d †
distance / t . In the case of wave speed,
an appropriate distance would be wavelength, l . The
corresponding time would then have
to be the period, T. So the wave
†
speed becomes:
WAAV
VEESS A
AN DS
ND SO
OUUN
NDD
somewhat like a playground swing. The playground
swing, the tuning fork, and most physical systems
will act to restore themselves if they are stressed from
their natural state. The “natural state” for the swing,
is to hang straight down. If you push it or pull it and
then let go, it moves back towards the position of
hanging straight down. However, since it’s moving
when it reaches that point, it actually overshoots and,
in effect, stresses itself. This causes another attempt
to restore itself and the movement continues back and
forth until friction and air resistance have removed all
the original energy of the push or pull. The same is
true for the tuning fork. It’s just that the movement
(amplitude) is so much smaller that you can’t visibly
see it. But if you touched the fork you could feel it.
smacks the air in its way. That smack creates a small
compression of air molecules that travels from that
point as a compressional wave. When it reaches your
ear, it vibrates your eardrum with the same frequency
as the frequency of the motion of the tuning fork.
You mentally process this vibration as a specific
tone.

l
v= or v = lf
t

† AVES
† SOUND W
If a tree falls in the forest and
there’s no one there to hear it, does it
make a sound? It’s a common
question that usually evokes a
philosophical response. I could argue
yes or no convincingly. You will
too later on. Most people have a
very strong opinion one way or the
other. The problem is that their
opinion is usually not based on a
clear understanding of what sound is.
I think one of the easiest ways
to understand sound is to look at
something that has a simple
mechanism for making sound. Think
about how a tuning fork makes
sound. Striking one of the forks
causes you to immediately hear a
tone. The tuning fork begins to act Figure 1.6: The energy of the vibrating tuning fork
violently splashes water from the bowl. In the air, the
energy of the tuning fork is transmitted through the air and
to the ears.