Soundwaves

Soundwaves are disturbances that travel through a medium, such as air, water, or solids, and are perceived as sound. These disturbances are essentially mechanical vibrations that propagate outwards from a source. When an object vibrates, it causes the surrounding particles of the medium to also vibrate. These vibrating particles then collide with their neighbors, transferring their energy and causing them to vibrate as well. This chain reaction creates a wave of compression and rarefaction, where the particles are momentarily squeezed together and then spread apart.

The speed of sound depends on the properties of the medium. It travels fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases. Factors such as temperature and density also influence the speed. The frequency of a soundwave determines its pitch. High-frequency soundwaves are perceived as high-pitched sounds, while low-frequency soundwaves are perceived as low-pitched sounds. The amplitude of a soundwave determines its loudness or intensity. Larger amplitudes correspond to louder sounds. Soundwaves can be reflected, refracted, and diffracted, similar to light waves. These phenomena explain how we hear echoes and how sound can bend around obstacles. Humans can typically hear soundwaves within a frequency range of approximately 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Frequencies above this range are called ultrasound, and those below are called infrasound.