Sound Waves Flashcards
What effects the speed of sound waves?
The speed of any wave depends upon the properties of the medium through which the wave is traveling.
What are sound frequencies?
It expresses the number of cycles of the repetitive waveform per second.
The higher the frequency…
the smaller the wavelength of the wave will be.
The smaller the wavelength…
the smaller the period (the distance between each amplitude of a wave).
What is the unit for frequency?
Hertz (Hz)
What is 1 hertz equal to?
1 Hertz is equal to 1 vibration per second. So for example, if a particle of air undergoes 2000 vibrations, then the frequency of the wave is 1000 vibrations, or 1000 Hz.
What happens when the frequency rises above 20,000 Hz?
When the sound frequency gets higher than 20,000 Hz, it surpassses the audible range for the human ear. The sound waves that are produced at the +20,000 Hz range are called ultrasound.
How is ultrasound useful?
Ultrasound is extremely helpful, especially in the medical field. It can be used to examine different parts of the human body, help physicians evaluate symptoms such as, pain swelling, and infection, and more. Unlike X-rays, ultrasound doesn’t involve exposure to radiation.
