SOUND WAVES

Sound is a form of wave motion which is conveyed through an elastic medium from a
vibrating source.

Air being highly elastic expands and in doing so compresses the layer of air next to it. In
this way, the state of compression is passed on and spreads rapidly outwards. Sound is
therefore a longitudinal wave having series of compressions and r rarefactions. The
sensation of hearing results when such waves strike the air.

Sound waves require a medium to be transmit

transmitted
ted i.e. they cannot travel through a vacuum.
Gases, liquids and solids all transmit sound waves. This can be demonstrated with the aid
of an experiment as follow:

An electric bell is suspended inside an airtight jar as shown below. The jar is connected to a
vacuum pump and the electric bell is then operated and set ringing.

As air is gradually pumped out from the jar, it is observed that the sound from the bell gets
fainter and fainter and no sound is heard when all the air in the jar is sucked out although
altho
the hammer is still striking the bell. Sound is again heard when air is allowed into the jar
Audible frequencies

Not all sound waves can be heard by the human ear. The audible frequencies for normal
human ear is in the range of 20Hz to 20KHz. Frequencies above hearing range are called
ultrasound sound-sound with frequency higher than 20Hz.

Ultrasound waves are useful in some ways because of their high frequency. They can
destroy bacteria in water and are used, for example, in testing or cleaning metals, drying
papers, removing smoke from air, and sonar for calculating depth or distance.

Ultrasonic waves are being used in medical and surgical diagnosis. When a portion of the
body is scanned by an ultrasound beam, the varying echoes are recorded electronically and
used to form a picture of what lies beneath on a television-type screen. It is preferable in
circumstances where the use of X-rays is inadvisable for health reasons.

The speed of sound waves

The speed of sound depends on the medium (material) through which it is passing, which
means that the speed varies from medium to medium. The values are given in the table
below:

Medium/Material Air (00C) Water Concrete/Steel

Speed (m/s) 330 - 350 1400 5000

Reflection of sound (echoes)

A sound heard after the reflection of sound waves from a plane surface is called an echo.

Echoes can sometimes be a nuisance (noise), but in other cases echoes are very useful and
have important application.

Applications of echoes

To determining the speed of sound in air

An echo can be used to determine the speed of sound in air by directing a sound signal to a
wall and measuring the time taken for the echo produced to be heard.
Aim: Determination of speed of sound in air.

Apparatus: A large wall or building, stop watch, a drum, a partner.

Diagram:

Procedure:

Stand at a distance x from the wall, beat a drum/clap using your palm or wood and
listen to the echo.
Gradually increase the rate of beating the drum until the beats are in time with the
echoes.
The partner should measure the time as t seconds.
The total distance travelled by the sound is 2x meters.

Hence the speed of the sound in air will be

i.e. V=

To determine the depth of the sea

The principle involves sending a wave down to the bed of the sea bed. The wave is reflected
back after striking the sea bed.
Knowing the speed (V) of the water, and the time (t), to receive the echo, the depth (x) of
the sea is calculated as

X=

This process is known as echo sounding.

For exploration of gas and oil

Echoes are used in oil and gas exploration. To do this, a small explosion is set off on or just
below the earth surface. The resulting sound wave is reflected by underground layers of
the rock. Interpretation of the echo can indicate the location of possible mineral or oil-
bearing rock formation.

Calculation

A hunter at a distance (x) from a cliff fires a gun. He hears the echo from the cliff
after 2.4s. If the speed of the sound in air is 340m/s. Calculate x.

The velocity of sound V =

× .
Therefore x= = = 408𝑚

A sound wave emitted from the bottom of a ship travels at 1500m/s vertically
downwards through water to ocean bed 1000m below, and is reflected upwards.
What is the time interval between the instant the sound is emitted and the instant
the echo is received?
×
The time interval, t= = = 1.33s.

Pitch (High and Low) and Note (Loud and Soft)

A pitch is a degree of highness or lowness of a tone. It is how high or low a note is. The pitch
of a note can be measured in Hertz. A pitch is therefore a particular frequency of sound e.g.
440Hz.

Higher pitch means higher frequency and vice versa

A note is a sound which can be tuned to different pitch. This means it can be higher or
lower, louder or softer

Louder note means greater amplitude and vice versa

This can be shown in the figure below.

Also,

Figure a shows two notes with the same amplitude and hence the same loudness.

However, the second has more waves squashed into the same space, so its frequency is
higher and so its pitch is higher too. In other words, it sounds higher or the note it produces
has a higher pitch.

Figure b shows two notes with the same frequency.

However, the second has greater amplitude, so it sounds louder or the note is louder.