Sound Waves

Question 1

How are sound waves produced?

Answer 1

Soundwaves are produced by vibrating objects. For example vocal cords in your throat. The vibrating objects cause particles in surrounding medium to vibrate as well.

Question 2

What is a medium?

Answer 2

Anything which contains particles. If there are no particles or particles are spread extremely far apart, sound waves cannot travel. (Eg. sound cannot travel through space.)

Question 3

What do particles in medium do in responce to a vibrating object?

Answer 3

They either bunch together or spread apart.

Question 4

What is it called when particles in medium bunch together?

Answer 4

Compression

Question 5

What is it called when particles in medium spread apart?

Answer 5

Rarefaction

Question 6

What is a soundwave?

Answer 6

a series of compression and rarefactions. Sound waves move away from vibrating objects.

Question 7

Important characteristics shared by every wave include:

Answer 7

Frequency, wavelength and amplitude

Question 8

What is pitch and how is it determined?

Answer 8

How low or high a sound is and is determined by the frequency and length of a wave.