Sound and

Hearing
LOs
LOs Lecture 1.

▪ Describe Sound as a Wave.

▪ Describe the properties of sound waves
▪ Relate wave properties to sound perception
▪ Explain how Sound Energy is measured
▪ Describe factors affecting sound transmission and reflection
If a tree falls in a forest does it make a sound if no
one hears it?
Sound: A Longitudinal Wave
Terminology
Vibrations Generate Sound

▪ Loudspeaker

Frequency
• Number of vibrations/ waves per second
• (Hz)
 Detecting Sound
How Does a Microphone Work

• Wave propagates through

medium

• Detected by instruments

• Detection is sound

• Electromagnetic
Induction

More on microphones
 Properties of Sound Waves

▪ The Cathode ray oscilloscope

▪ V/div = 2 ms/div 5
▪ CRO demo
Measuring Sound
High/ Low Frequency, Soft and Loud
The Frequency of Sound and Hearing
Auditory Range
Variations in Sound.

▪ Frequency
▪ Speed
▪ Intensity
▪ Amplitude and Intensity
▪ Intensity and Distance
 Wave Equation

Wave speed (v) = frequency (f) x wavelength (λ)

m/s Hz m

What is the wavelength of a sound of frequency 800 Hz which travels at 330m/s?

330 = 800 x λ
λ = 330/800
= 0.41 m
Speed Depends on the Medium

Different in different materials.

Intensity

▪  Intensity = Power / Area

▪ I in Watts/m2
▪ Intensity is also related to the Pressure amplitude

I=

Where is the pressure differential between areas of compression and

rarefaction.
Vw is the speed of sound in the medium.
Amplitude and Intensity

I α A2

What happens if you double amplitude

Sound Intensity and Power
The Inverse Square Law
Recording Sound Intensity, Decibels (dB)

▪ Current method of measuring/ recording the intensity of sound

From Bell Alexandra Graham Bell
▪ Non Linear
▪ Log scale
▪ 10 dB increase is a factor of 10 increase
in power
How are Intensity and Decibels Related?
Range of Sound in Decibels
Properties of Sound

Like light sound can be

▪ Reflected
▪ Refracted
▪ Absorbed
▪ Transmitted

▪ Interested in the relationship between reflection and transmission of

sound
Reflecting Sounds
.
Echo location
 Acoustic Impedance

▪ Amount of sound reflected and transmitted depends on the Acoustic

Impedance (Z)
▪ Describes the resistance to the sound as it passes through a medium.
▪ Impedance is affected by the
speed of the sound (v)
density of the material (ƿ).

Z=ƿv
Z air 430 kg/m2s
Z muscle 1.48 kg/m2s
Acoustic Impedance and Reflection

Difference in Z
Total

▪ Reflection is greater the bigger the differences in Z Z air 430

kg/m2s
Z muscle 1.48
kg/m2s
▪ For the ear, use the difference between muscle and air
▪ Reflection is 0.9988

▪ Most of the sound hitting the Ear drum is reflected.

Acoustic Impedance and Transmission

Transmission is greatest when there is the smallest differences between

acoustic Impedances (Acoustic matching)

For the ear, use the difference between muscle and air

Transmission = 0.0012

Most of the sound hitting the Ear drum is not transmitted.

 Doppler Effect

https://opentextbc.ca/physicstestbook2/chapter/doppler-effect-and-sonic-booms/

For a moving object there is an apparent change in frequency of emitted sound as the object
moves with respect to the observer.
Doppler Effect gives us Information about Wave
Speed and Direction
The Complexity of Sound
The Fourier Spectrum
Summary

1. Sound is a longitudinal wave

2. Wave frequency determines the pitch
3. Sound travels at different velocities through different materials
4. Sound is measured in Decibels, the scale is non linear
5. Sound intensity is proportional to both amplitude and pressure
6. Acoustic Impedance is controlled by the density of a material and the velocity
of the sound
7. The reflection and transmission of sound is based on the acoustic impedance
8. The Doppler effect allows us to match changes in frequency to velocity
9. Sound can be complex