Sound — Flashcards

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Sound is a form of energy that produces a sensation of hearing in our ears. It is produced when objects vibrate. Examples: striking a tuning fork, plucking a guitar string, or speaking (vocal cords vi…

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Vibration is the rapid to-and-fro motion of an object. When a tuning fork is struck, its prongs move back and forth rapidly - this is vibration. Other examples: stretched rubber band when plucked, voc…

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A medium is the matter or substance through which sound travels. It can be solid, liquid, or gas. Examples: air (gas), water (liquid), steel (solid). Sound cannot travel through vacuum as there are no…

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Sound waves are called mechanical waves because they require a material medium to travel and are characterized by the motion of particles in the medium. The particles oscillate about their mean positi…

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Compression (C): Region where particles are crowded together, creating high pressure and high density. Rarefaction (R): Region where particles are spread apart, creating low pressure and low density.

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Sound waves are longitudinal waves because the particles of the medium oscillate parallel to the direction of wave propagation. The particles move back and forth along the same line as the wave travel…

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Wavelength (λ) is the distance between two consecutive compressions or two consecutive rarefactions. It is measured in metres (m). It represents the distance traveled by the wave in one complete oscil…

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Frequency (ν) is the number of complete oscillations (compressions or rarefactions) passing a fixed point per unit time. Unit: Hertz (Hz). One Hz = one oscillation per second. Higher frequency = highe…