The Nature of Sound

EQ: How do I define, describe and

identify sound?
Sound is a longitudinal wave that travels
through a material medium, such as air. In this
case the vibrating drum is causing the air
particles to vibrate.
EQ: How do
rarefaction I define,
describe and
identify
sound?

compression wavelength
 How do you make sound?
• You force air up through your voice box, or
larynx
• Your larynx consists of two folds of tissue called
vocal chords (like guitar strings)

EQ: How do I
define, describe
and identify
sound?
 How you speak ….
• As the vocal chords move closer together,
the air between them is compressed. As
they move apart, the air spreads out, or
rarefies. The air carries the longitudinal
waves to other people’s ears and your
own as well

EQ: How do I
define, describe
and identify sound?
 Sound in Solids and Liquids
Sound travels through solids and liquids
– Example- knocking on a door
• When you knock, the particles of the
door vibrate
• The vibration creates sound waves
that travel through the door
• When the sound waves reach the
other side, the same vibrations make
sounds waves in the air.
EQ: How do I define, describe and identify sound?
EQ: How do I define,
describe and
identify sound?
Sound in Space
Sound can only travel if a medium
is available to transmit the
compressions and rarefactions.
In outer space, there are no
molecules so there is nothing for
the sound to travel through and
so there is no sound. Space is a
vacuum-A space containing no
particles of matter.
 The Speed of Sound
It depends on three properties of the
medium it travels through
–Elasticity
–Density
EQ: How do I define,
–Temperature describe and identify
sound?
 Elasticity
• The ability of a material to bounce back to
its original shape
– Solid materials are usually more elastic
– Sound travels better in mediums that have a
high degree of elasticity because when the
particles are compressed, they quickly spread
out again – increase speed of sound
– Which has the most elasticity, solid, liquid or
gas?
EQ: How do I define, describe and identify sound?
 Density
• How much matter, or mass, there is in a
given space or volume
• The denser the medium, the more mass it
has. The particles in a dense material
travel slower than in a less denser
material, therefore, sound will move slower
through more dense materials.
EQ: How do I define, describe and identify sound?
 Temperature
• In a given medium, sound travels slower at
lower temperatures and faster at higher
temperatures.
• At 20 C, speed of sound in air is about
340m/s, at 0 C the speed is 331m/s
• At higher altitude the air is colder, so
sound travels slower at higher altitude
EQ: How do I define, describe
and identify sound?
 Moving Faster Than Sound
• October 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager broke
the sound barrier

• October 15, 1997, Andy Green broke the

speed of sound on the ground with his jet
powered car called Thrust.
 Class Work and Homework
EQ: How do I define,
Fill In describe and identify
• What did I learn sound?

• Confused
• Say
Read pages O 40 – O 44, Answer questions
1- 4 on 0 44
(Pay special attention to figure 4, page 42)
2-1, Worksheet answer all questions