Beats
Rhythmic increase/decrease due to constructive or destructive interference
Amplitude
Size of wave from rest to crest or rest to trough
Condensation
compression of gas molecules due to a vibration/pulse
Cycle
a complete wave/vibration
decibel scale
a loudness scale based on intensity level - logarithmic scale
Doppler Effect
an apparent shift in the frequency of sound due to motion of the observer
echo
reflected sound; has to arrive 0.1 s or more to be detected
frequency
Number of cycles/vibrations in 1 second - unit is Hertz (Hz)
fundamental frequency
lowest frequency that can be set up on a standing wave/stringed instrument
hertz
unit of frequency
infrasonic
sound waves having too low of frequency to hear below 20 Hz
intensity
measure of energy carried by a wave
longitudinal wave
causes particles to move closer together and further apart in the same direction the wave travels - travels through solid, liquid, and gas
natural frequency
the frequency/vibration of an elastic object
period
time required to complete 1 cycle/wave
pitch
frequency of a sound wave
rarefaction
thinning or decrease of gas pressure due to wave/vibration
resonance
when the frequency of an external force matches the natural frequency of a material
reverberation
apparent increase in volume caused by reflections
sonic boom
sound waves that pile up when a source is traveling at or faster than the speed of sound
standing waves
condition where 2 waves of equal frequency traveling in opposite directions meet and form nodes and antinodes
Transverse waves
causes particles to move perpendicular to the direction of the wave
ultrasonic
sound waves at frequencies too high to hear; above 20,000 Hz
vibration
back and forth motion that repeats itself
wavelength
horizontal distance between 2 crests or 2 troughs
refraction
bending or change in direction of a wave due to different mediums or different conditions in same medium
Constructive interference
2 waves interacting in which they add together
Destructive interference
2 waves interacting in which they cancel each other out
internal restoring force
ability of spring/elastic material to return to its original state
simple harmonic motion
Back and forth motion until equilibrium is achieved
crest
produced by condensations - high point of wave
trough
produced by rarefactions - lowest point of wave
lambda
wavelength