Wave Type
This type of wave propagates parallel to its medium.
Longitudinal Wave
Sound requires this to travel (most often air, but also solids/liquids).
Medium
Going faster than ~340 m/s means breaking this.
Sound barrier
The frequency of a sound wave corresponds to this property.
Pitch
Each vibrating system (like a guitar string) has one of these frequencies.
Resonance frequency
Sound waves are this kind of wave (also called longitudinal waves).
Compression wave
Sound travels fastest through this type of medium
Stiff
This term means the speed of sound
Mach
Humans can hear sounds between these two frequencies (in Hz).
20 and 20,000
At the natural frequency, a wave shows these at the crests and troughs
Antinodes
The opposite of a longitudinal wave (propagates perpendicular to the medium).
Transverse wave
Sound generally travels through this phase of matter fastest
Solid
Traveling faster than sound creates this.
Sonic boom
The ear's snail-like structure that contains the basilar membrane.
Cochlea
General term for two waves adding together
Moving together of particles in a medium during a sound wave.
Compression
This is the speed of light
3 x 108 m/s
This is the speed of mach 4
1360 m/s
Hairs on this part of the ear vibrate at frequencies matching the heard sound, sending signals to the brain.
Two crests (or troughs) meeting to make a bigger wave.
Constructive interference
Moving away of particles in a medium (pairs with compression).
Rarefaction
At room temperature, the speed of sound in air is approximately this value.
340 m/s
The boom from supersonic travel is caused by this effect on air pressure.
Doppler effect
The amplitude of a sound wave corresponds to this property.
Loudness
A crest and trough meeting to cancel each other out.
Destructive interference