lesson 2 Flashcards
sound wave
a longitudinal wave that is caused by vibrations and that travels through a material medium
medium
a physical environment in which phenomena occur
pitch
a measure of how high or low a sound is perceived to be, depending on the frequency of the sound wave
Doppler effect
an observed change in the frequency of a wave when the source or the observer is moving
loudness
the extent to which a sound can be heard
decibel
the most common used to measure loudness (symbol, dB
echo
a reflected sound wave
echolocation
the process of using reflected sound waves to find objects; used by animals such as bats
interference
the combination of two or more waves that result in a single wave
sonic boom
the explosive sound heard when a shock wave from an object traveling faster than the speed of sound reaches a persons ear
standing wave
a pattern of vibration that simulates a wave that is standing still
resonance
a phenomenon that occurs when two objects naturally vibrate at the same frequency; the sound produced by one object causes the other object to vibrate
sound quality
the result of the blending of several pitches through interference
noise
a sound that consists of a random mix of frequencies
