Chapter 12 Sound
Notes
Facts that Matter
A sound is a form of energy which produces a sensation
of hearing in our ears.
Propagation of Sound: Sound is produced by vibrating
objects.
Medium: The matter or substance through which sound is
transmitted is called a medium. It can be solid, liquid or
gas. Air is the most common medium for sound
propagation.
Wave: A wave is a disturbance that moves through a
medium when the particles of the medium set
neighbouring particles into motion. They in turn produce
similar motion in others. The particles of the medium do
not move forward themselves, but the disturbance is
carried forward. This is what happens during propagation
of sound in a medium, hence sound can be visualised as a
wave. Sound waves are characterised by the motion of
particles in the medium and are called mechanical waves.
When a vibrating object moves forward, it pushes and
compresses the air in front of it creating a region of high
pressure. This region is called a compression (C), as
shown in following figure. This compression starts to
move away from the vibrating object. When the vibrating
object moves backwards, it creates a region of low
pressure called rarefaction (R).
As the object moves back and forth rapidly, a series of
compressions and rarefactions is created in the air. These
make the sound wave that propagates through the
medium. Compression is the region of high pressure and
rarefaction is the region of low pressure.
Experiment to show Sound needs a medium:
Activity:
Take and electric bell and airtight jar.
Fit the bell inside the jar and attach to battery.
With air still in jar ring the bell.
Now take out air by vaccumization.
Ring the bell again.
Observation: Sound of bell can be heard when air is
inside the jar. When air is taken out then sound cannot be
heard.
Conclusion: This shows that presence of medium is
necessary for propagation of sound waves.
Properties of Sound Waves:
Frequency: Number of oscillations of sound waves is
called its frequency. The number of peak and troughs per
unit of time will give frequency. It is represented by v
(nu) and its SI unit is Hertz (Hz).
Time Period: The time taken to complete one oscillation
is called its time period. Its unit is second and is
represented by T.
Relation of frequency and time period:
v = 1/T
Amplitude: The magnitude of the maximum disturbance
in the medium on either side of the mean value is called
the amplitude of the wave. It is usually represented by the
letter A. Its unit is meter.
Softness or Loudness of Sound: If the amplitude is
smaller then the sound will be softer and if it is larger then
sound will be louder. Higher amplitude helps the sound
wave is travelling faster.
Speed of sound: It is the distance which compression or a
rarefaction travels per unit of time.
So, Speed = Wavelength Frequency
The speed of the sound remains almost the same for all
frequencies in a given medium under the same physical
condition.
Speed of Sound in Different Media at 25° C.
Reflection of Sound: Sound reflects off a surface in the
same way as light reflects and follows same rules of
reflection. The incident sound and the reflected sound
make equal angles with the normal and all three are in the
same plane.
Echo: In bigger monuments and in large empty halls you
can hear reflections of your sound after you speak
something. This effect is known as echo. The sensation of
sound persists in our brain for 0.1 seconds, so to hear
echo the time difference between original sound and
reflected sound should be more than that.
As you know speed of sound in air is = 344 m/s And 344
x 0.1 = 34.4 metre
So, the minimum distance required to hear an echo from a
reflecting wall or surface should be half of 34.4, means it
should be 17.2 metres.
Reverberation: Repeated reflections of sound results in
persistence of sound and is called reverberation.
Use of Reverberation of Sound: Following instruments
use this property of sound:
1. Megaphones, Shehanais, Trumpets
2. Stethoscope
3. Curved dome of concert halls
Range of Hearing in humans:
From 20 Hz to 20000 Hz
Sounds below 20 Hz are called infrasonic.
Sounds above 20000 Hz are called ultrasonic.