SOUND

^ Sound is a form of energy like heat energy, light energy, potential energy and kinetic
energy. It causes a sensation of hearing in our ears.
^ Sound cannot be created nor destroyed but can be changed from one form to another. Eg.,
When we clap, a sound is produced. Here, muscular energy is converted into sound energy.
This is in accordance with the law of conservation of energy.
PRODUCTION OF SOUND:
^ Sound is produced due to vibration of objects.
^ The motion of materials or objects causes vibration.
^ Vibration is a kind of rapid to and fro motion of an object about a central position. It is also
referred to as oscillation.
PROPOGATION OF SOUND:
^ The travelling of sound is called propagation of sound.
^ The matter of substance through which sound is transmitted is called a medium. The
medium can be solid, or liquid or gas.
^ Sound cannot travel in vacuum. A true vacuum refers to the complete absence of matter.
Sound waves can travel only through matter. So, sound needs a physical medium in order to
travel anywhere.
^ Wave that requires medium to propagate is called mechanical wave. For example, sound
wave. Sound cannot travel in the absence of a medium.
TYPES OF WAVES:
^ On the basis of direction of propagation, waves can be divided into two types

(i) Longitudinal waves: Longitudinal waves are particles that do not move from one place to
another but they simply oscillate back and forth about their position of rest. Eg.
Sound waves.
(ii) Transverse waves: Transverse waves particles do not oscillate along the line of wave
propagation but oscillate up and down about their mean position as the wave travels. Eg.,
light waves.

SOUND WAVES ARE LONGITUDINAL: Sound travels as a longitudinal wave through a

material medium. The particles of sound wave do not move from one place to another.
They just oscillate back and forth about their position of rest. The disturbance is carried
forward. Hence, sound waves are longitudinal waves.

LONGITUDINAL WAVES CAN BE SHOWN THROUGH A SLINKY: Hold one end of the slinky &
fix other end to the wall nail. Now, stretch (a) slinky by pulling the hand, after a while
push (b) the stretched slinky towards the wall. You’ll observe that the coils come closer at
some regions whereas it moves apart at the other regions forming regions of
compression and rarefaction.
COMPRESSIONS AND RAREFACTIONS:
^ Sound travels a successive compressions and rarefactions in the medium. A vibrating
object producing a sense of compressions ( C ) and rarefaction (R).
When a vibrating object moves forward, it pushes and compresses the air in front of it
forming a region of high pressure called compression (C). When the vibrating object moves
backward, it forms a region of low pressure called rarefaction (R).
A vibrating object producing a series of compressions (C) and rarefaction (R). In these waves
the particles move back and forth parallel to the direction of propagation of the disturbance.
Such waves are called longitudinal waves.

Compressions are the regions of high pressure and density where the particles are crowded
and are represented by the upper portion of the curve called crest.
Rarefactions are the regions of low pressure and density where the particles are spread out
and are represented by the lower portion of the curve called trough.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND WAVES:

Sound waves have 4 characteristics:
1. Amplitude, 2. Wavelength, 3. Frequency, 4. Speed

^ As the sound waves propagates in a medium, the density as well as the pressure of the
medium at a given varies with distance above and below the average value.
^ Increase in density is not the same throughout compression. Maximum increase in density
is seen at the centre of compression.

(i) Amplitude: Amplitude of sound wave is the height of crest or trough. The amplitude is
how high the crests are. In a sound wave, the maximum displacement associated with the
particle constituting a wave is called its amplitude. It is represented by ‘A’. SI unit is metre.
Amplitude depends upon the force with which an object vibrates. Eg., When we hit a
table hard, a loud sound is produced due to its larger amplitude. Similarly, if we hit the
table slowly, the sound produced is low as its amplitude is small. Thus, loudness as well as
soft sound is determined by its amplitude.

(i) WAVELENGTH: The wavelength is the distance between 2 consecutive compressions or 2

consecutive rarefaction is called wavelength and is represented as λ (lambda). Its SI unit is
metre.
Wavelength can also be considered as the distance over which graph/wave is repeated.

(iii) FREQUENCY: The number of vibrations completed by a particle in one second is the
frequency of the sound wave.
Frequency = Number of oscillations / Total time
ν = 1/T
We can calculate the frequency of sound by calculating the number of compressions or
rarefactions in one second. It is represented by a Greek letter ν (Greek letter nu). SI unit is
Hertz.
SI unit is named after Heinrich Rudolph Hertz who laid foundation for 4 future development
of radio, telephone, telegraph and TV.

(iv) TIME PERIOD: The time taken by the particle of the medium for completing one
oscillation/vibration is called the time period. It is represented by the symbol “T”. SI unit
is second. Time period of a sound wave is the time between 2 successive compressions or
2 consecutive rarefactions.

(v) VELOCITY OF SOUND WAVE: It is the distance travelled by a wave in one second. Speed is
represented by V. Speed with which compression and rarefactions move ahead is called
velocity. The speed of sound is more in solids, less in liquids and least in gases.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPEED (V), FREQUENCY (ν) AND WAVELENGTH (λ) OF SOUND:

Wave velocity = Distance covered / time taken

= wavelength / time taken
V= λ/T -------------- (1)
As ν = 1 / T, equ. (1) can be written as,
V = νλ -------------- (2)
Or, Wave velocity = Frequency X Wavelength
The velocity of sound remains almost same for all frequencies in a given medium under the
same physical conditions.

DEPENDENCE OF SPEED OF SOUND:

(I) NATURE OF THE MEDIUM: Speed of sound depends on the nature of medium (material)
through which it travels. Speed of sound is different in different mediums.
The speed of sound is more in solids, less in liquids and least in gases.
For example, velocity of sound in iron is 5130 m/s.
At room temperature, the speed of sound in air is 344 m/s, in water, it is 1500 m/s and in
solids, it is 5130 m/s.

(ii) Temperature of medium: The speed of sound also depends on the temperature of the
medium. If the temperature of the medium is more, the speed of sound is more.
Eg., speed of sound at 00 C is 332 m/s and speed of sound at 200 C is 344 m/s.

(iii) Humidity of medium: Speed of sound increases with increase in humidity. Eg., In rainy
seasons, humidity is high and therefore speed of sound is more.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND AS WE HEAR IT:

(I) LOUDNESS: Loudness of sound is the measure of sound energy reaching the ear per
second. Loudness or softness of a sound wave is the sensation that depends upon its
amplitude.
Eg., When we strike the top of a table with more force, it vibrates and produces a loud
sound. But when we strike the top of a table with lesser force, the vibrating table top
produces soft sound waves. Louder sound has more amplitude.
PITCH: When a guitar and flute are played together then the sound emitted by the two
musical instruments are different. The difference is due to one more characteristics of
sound namely pitch.

Pitch is the sensation (brain’s interpretation) of the frequency of an emitted sound. The
pitch of sound (shrillness or flatness) depends on the frequency of vibrations.
Faster the vibration of the source, higher is the frequency and higher the pitch and vice
versa. Similarly, low pitch sound corresponds to low pitch.
^ A high pitch sound is called a shrill sound (meowing of a cat, sound of guitar, girl’s voice).
High pitch has more compressions and rarefactions.
^ A low pitch sound is called a hoarse sound / heavy sound (sound of a lion, boy’s voice).
Low pitch has less compression and rarefactions.

(iii) QUALITY OR TIMBRE: Quality or timbre of sound wave is that characteristic which helps
us in distinguishing between two sounds of same loudness and same pitch. The quality of
a musical sound depends on the shape of sound wave produced by it.

MUSIC AND NOISE:

(A) Music is the sound that is pleasant to hear / to the ears (eg., sound coming out of musical
instruments).
(B) Noise is the sound that is unpleasant to hear / to the ears. (Eg., sound produced by
vehicles)

TONE AND NOTE:

(A) A pure sound of single frequency is called tone.
(B) An impure sound produced by mixture of many frequencies is called a note. It is pleasant
to hear.

SONIC BOOM: Speed of sound in air is 333 m/s. Many objects such as aircrafts, bullets, and
rocket planes travel at speeds greater than the speed of sound in air. Such objects are
said to be travelling with supersonic speed.
a) Objects moving with speed greater than speed of sound is said to have supersonic speed.
b) Supersonic aircraft produces shock waves in air due to its very high speed. The air
pressure variation associated with shock waves produces a very sharp and loud sound
called ‘sonic boom’.
^ sonic boom is the loud sound due to shock waves generated by objects moving with
supersonic speed. Shock waves have a lot of energy, they can damage buildings and
break glasses.