The Nature of Sound
Properties of Sound
Decibels
Music
Using Sound
100
What is a wave medium?
The substance—solid, liquid, or gas—that a sound wave moves through.
100
The human perception of a sounds volume is known as...
Loudness
100
Decibels are a measure of a sounds...
intensity
100
A collection of sounds that are deliberately used in a regular pattern. (has things like melody, beats, and pitch)
Music
100
The study of sound is known as...
Acoustics
200
How do sound waves interact with air as they pass through?
Sound waves vibrate air molecules as they pass through the air.
200
When the amplitude of a sound wave increases, what happens to the sound?
It get's louder!!!
200
What would a 0 dB sound sound like?
Nothing, since 0 dB is below the threshold of human hearing
200
Why does an electric guitar and a piano sound different from each other, even when the play the same note?
A piano has a different sound quality than an electric guitar
200
When sound is used to locate objects without seeing them, what is this called?
Hint: Bats, Whales, and Dolphins all use this.
Echolocation
300
Which medium do sound waves travel through the fastest? (solids, liquids, or gases)
Solids, because the molecules of matter are closest together.
300
Fill in the blank: To produce a sound wave with greater amplitude (which makes a sound louder), more ____________ must be transferred from the vibrating object to the medium.
energy
300
How much more intense is a 30 dB sound than a 20 dB sound?
20 dB: rustling leaves
30 dB: a quiet stream flowing
10x as intense or twice as loud
300
What do overtones do to a persons voice?
Make it sound more rich and complex
300
The echoing effect of sound waves bouncing off of walls, and reaching you at different times is known as...
reverberations
400
Fill in the blanks: Rarefactions are the ___________ dense part of a sound wave, while compressions are the _____________ dense part of a sound wave.
least, most
(less and more are also acceptable)
400
From the woman's perspective, the ambulance is moving away from her. The sound waves from the ambulance are being rarefied. How would the ambulance siren sound to her?
The woman would hear a lower pitched sound
400
How much more intense is a 60 dB sound than a 40 dB sound?
40 dB sound: A quiet library
60 dB sound: A normal conversation between two people
100x as intense or 4 times as loud
400
How do all musical instruments produce sound?
Some part of the instrument vibrates, creating sound
400
Sound with a frequency above 20,000 Hz is so high above the range of human hearing that we cannot detect it. These sounds are known as...
ultrasounds
500
What can happen to a person's hearing if their cochlea is damaged?
Permanent hearing damage/loss
500
How does intensity differ from loudness?
Intensity is the energy of a sound wave, loudness is the volume of a sound wave
500
How much more intense is a sound that is 110 dB compared to one that is only 80 dB?
110 dB sound: a rock concert
80 dB: a high school cafeteria
1000x as intense or 6 times as loud
500
When two similar frequencies interfere with each other, what is produced?
Ex: a 400 and 440 Hz sound are played at the same time, and a strange ringing noise is heard.
Beats
500
How are echolocation and SONAR related?
Both involve emitting sound waves to learn about their environment.