

When we speak, vibrations are produced by the vocal cords in the throat.

The speed of sound in water is about 1500 meters per second. This is because of the absence of a medium. Other than this, the speed of sound in the Vacuum is 0. However, this speed is measured at 20 0C. The speed of sound in air is around 761 miles per hour or 343 meters per second. Sound waves are longitudinal waves.īoth these waves travel at different speeds in different mediums.

If the wave moves from right to left then the particles will also move from right to left. This happens because the vibrations are parallel to the direction of the motion. On close observation, they find that some of the coils of the spring crowd close together or we can say it compresses and then slowly move farther apart which we can say elongation. Now again, A tells B to hold one side of the spring tightly, and then A pulls the other end towards himself and then pushes it towards B. The molecules in the spring oscillate in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the generation of the wave. Then A, with a quick upward flick of the wrist sends energy travelling through the spring. A brought a spring and asked B to hold the other end of the spring. Let us understand an experiment which will describe the travelling of a sound wave. There are mainly two types of waves viz transverse wave and the longitudinal wave. Sound energy travels in the form of sound waves. In this way, the sound wave is generated and reaches the ear. This process took a very short time as the disturbance travelled very fast and is not visible to the naked eye. This, in turn, disturbed the layer adjacent to it and this way the disturbance got carry forward and ultimately reached the human ear. More scientifically if we understand it, we can see that as soon as the doorbell rang, sound waves were created which disturbed the immediate layer of air near it. Can you guess how the sound travelled? It travelled through the air. Let us say someone comes to your door and presses the doorbell. Let us consider an example for understanding the production of sound. An individual with normal hearing can hear sounds in the range of 20-20,000 Hertz.

These properties lend the sound wave its unique pitch and loudness. This movement of the molecules determines the frequency and amplitude of the sound wave. As already said it is a pressure wave, such pressure causes the surrounding molecules to move back snd forth from their equilibrium position. It also has a wavelength associated with it. What is a Sound WaveĪ sound wave is a simple pressure wave that is caused by the movement of air molecules away from the source and like all waves we expect it to have a frequency and an amplitude. So these three main types of waves are present everywhere around us. The surface waves, on the other hand, transfer energy by displacing the medium in a circular motion. Longitudinal waves transfer energy by compressing and expanding the medium to move the energy forward. Transverse waves transfer energy by moving the medium back and forth at a right angle to the energy movement. There are three main types of waves viz transverse wave, longitudinal waves, and surface waves. What is a Wave?Ī wave is something that transports energy from one place to another through a medium. The speed of sound is different in different mediums. Sound even travels through a gaseous medium. A sound is a form of energy or we can say that a vibration that travels through a medium, like air or water.
