The nature of sound Flashcards
(19 cards)
The pitch of a sound corresponds to the sound wave’s____________
Frequency
Does a sound wave’s amplitude impact the pitch we hear?
no
What pitch does a piccolo produce?
higher frequency, higher pitch
What pitch does a tuba produce?
lower frequency, lower pitch
What range of frequencies can humans hear?
We can hear from 20 Hz all the way up to 24 000 Hz.
That is, we can hear this range when we are young and haven’t been to too many loud rock concerts!
Sounds above human hearing are called
ultrasound
True or false: some animals can hear sounds we cannot hear
True! Some animals can hear sounds a lot lower than we can, like the elephant, while others can hear sounds a lot higher than we can, like the bat.
Which animal can hear the greatest range of sounds?
Dolphins
What happens to our hearing as we age?
The range of sounds we can hear decreases
What characteristic of a sound wave determines its volume?
The amplitude
Which produces a louder sound, a larger or smaller amplitude wave?
A larger amplitude means a louder sound
A smaller amplitude means a softer sound
What determines the amplitude of a wave?
The vibration of a source sets the amplitude of a wave.
The source transmits energy into the medium through its vibration.
Why does more energetic vibration lead to a larger amplitude?
More energetic vibration corresponds to larger amplitude because the molecules move back and forth more vigorously.
True or false: a high amplitude wave carries a larger amount of energy than a low energy wave
True: A high amplitude wave carries a large amount of energy; a low amplitude wave carries a small amount of energy.
True or false: the loudness of a sound wave relates to the amount of energy it is transporting
True
What does this mean: “sound dissipates as it travels”
A wave that starts of with a certain amount of energy does not keep that same amount of energy forever.
True or false: sound waves are affected by the medium they travel through.
True
Explain this diagram:
As sound waves travel farther from their source, the more spread out their energy becomes.
The same amount of energy is travelling, but it is spread over a larger and larger area. This results in the intensity and loudness of the sound becoming less and less as you move away from the source.
This explains why even loud sounds fade away as you move farther from the source.
The intensity of sound decreased if you are further away from the source because…
a) the frequency decreases
b) the energy is spreading out over a greater area
c) sound waves lose speed
d) energy is lost to the surroundings
b)
As sound waves travel farther from their source, the more spread out their energy becomes.
