Science 4 - Sound Waves Flashcards
Define wave
- an oscillation or vibration
- transfers energy or information
Define amplitude
Distance from the middle to the top/bottom of a wave
Define the frequency in a wave
How often the oscillations occur in a measured amount of time
Define peak/crest
Top of the wave
Define trough
Bottom of a wave
Define wavelength
The distance between either two peaks/troughs of a wave
Define transverse waves
Particles move up and down perpendicular to the direction of the energy transfer
Define perpendicular
Is when two lines meet at 90 degrees
Give an example of a transverse wave
- earthquakes
- slinky
- rope
- water ripple
- *light/sunlight (best)
Define a longitudinal wave
It’s particles move parallel to the direction of the energy transfer
Define parallel
When to lines move/are alongside each other. The lines will never meet.
Give some examples of longitudinal waves
- *all sounds(best)
- earthquakes
- vibrations during thunder
Define compressions
Oscillations are close together
Define rarefaction
Oscillations are further away from each other
Define medium
A substance that sound has to travel through in order to be heard or reach our ears. E.g solids, liquids, gases
Define a vacuum
- Is an empty space
- has no medium
- sound waves can’t travel through it
What is the fastest medium for sounds to travel through
Solid because:
- the particles are close together
- they will vibrate together passing the oscillations.
- Creating the sound to pass quicker and louder
Speed of sound travelling through a solid ( metres per second)
Solids= 5000m/s
Speed of sound travelling through a liquid ( metres per second)
Liquid = 1500m/s
Speed of sound travelling through a gas (metres per second)
Gas= 340m/s
Speed of light (metres per second)
Light= 3 million m/s
What would you see/hear thunder or lightening
Lightening because it travels at 3 million m/s
Define pitch
- The frequency is another name for this
- the more waves you see the higher the pitch/frequency
- can also be the degree of how high or low something is
Define oscilloscope
A machine that is used to measure/records oscillations in so you can observe/view
Define vibration/oscillations
-particles move and create a sound
Define loud
- is when the amplitude of a wave is really long/high
Define quiet
When the amplitude of a wave is short
Define Hertz
Measurements in which you measure sound in
- also know as Hz
Name the three mini bones that make up the ossicles
Hammer, Anvil and Stapes
What does the cochlea do
Changes sound waves into a nerve signal to the brain
How to recover from damaging the eardrums
Do not further irritate by listening to music for at least 3 months
What is infrasound
Is the range that is too quiet for humans to hear
Ranges from 20Hz and below
What is the audible range
It is the range that humans can hear
It starts from 20Hz to 20,000 (20KHz)
What is the ultrasound range
The range that is too loud for humans too hear
Starts from 20KHz and above
What is a reflected sound
- An echo
- the time taken to for the echo to be heard again and return can be used to workout how far away the object is
How to find out the distance to object
Step 1:
Total distance travelled by sound = speed of sound from medium (m/s) x time taken to hear the echo
Step 2:
Distance to object = total distance travelled by sound divided by 2
What is a reverberation
The multiple blended repetitions of a sound
Ultrasound uses
Doctors- study foetus, abdominal+pelvic organs, muscles+tendons, heart and blood vessels
Ships- to detect fish and nearby sea beds, bounces of the objects and send the sound waves back for the ship to know
How can ultrasounds be analysed
Using a small probe called transducer and gel
Place directly onto skin or sin at object
High frequency waves travel from probe to gel onto skin or into matter
Waves will bounce off of whatever is in the way send the waves back indicating something it near
