Sound Waves Flashcards

Question

Oscillation

Answer 1

Something that moves backwards and forwards

Answer 2

A device that enables you to see electrical signals, like those made by a microphone.

Answer 3

The small bones of the middle ear (hammer, anvil and stirrup) that transfer vibrations from the eardrum to the oval window

Answer 4

The pinna, auditory canal, and eardrum

Answer 5

The membrane that connects the ossicles to the cochlea

Answer 6

The outside part of the ear that we can see

Answer 7

The part of a longitudinal wave where the air particles are spread out

Answer 8

The device that absorbs the sound waves

Answer 9

A wave that is reflected from a surface

Answer 10

The change in direction of a ray or wave after it hits a surface and bounces of

Answer 11

The persistence of a sound for a longer period than normal

Answer 12

The distance light travels in one second (300 million m/s)

Answer 13

The distance sound travels in one second (330 m/s)

Answer 14

When waves join together so that they either add up or cancel each other out

Answer 15

A device that gives out light or sound

Answer 16

The vibrations are at right angles to the direction the wave moves

Answer 17

The bottom of a wave

Answer 18

Sound at a frequency greater than 20,000 Hz, beyond the range of human hearing

Answer 19

A space where there is no matter

Answer 20

Backwards or forwards motion of the parts of a liquid or solid

Answer 21

The pieces of skin that vibrate to produce sound

Answer 22

Sound is a mechanical method of transferring energy between stores. Sound can be described by its intensity which is how loud or soft it is. Sound can also be described by its frequency which is how high or low pitched the sound is.

Answer 23

Sounds are made when an object vibrate. Sound travels because the vibrating object makes nearby particles vibrate. Sounds need a medium to travel through, it cannot pass through a vacuum.

Answer 24

Soundwaves are called longitudinal because the particles vibrate in the same direction as the wave travels.

Answer 25

The wavelength is the distance between the same point on one wave and the next. The wave length decreases if the pitch increases and the opposite for low pitch

Answer 26

Air particles are close together | High pressure

Answer 27

Air particles are further apart | Low pressure

Answer 28

Frequency equals the number of waves per second

Answer 29

The point of maximum positive displacement

Answer 30

Rest position

Answer 31

On an oscilloscope trace the loudness of a sound is shown by half the height of the wave. This is called the amplitude. The larger the amp,itude of the wave on the trace the louder the sound is.

Answer 32

A sound can be high or low, this is the pitch of the sound.The greater the frequency of the waves on the trace, the higher the pitch.

Answer 33

Sound waves travel fastest through solids. The particles in a solid are closer together than in a gas and are more tightly bound than a liquid. This means vibrations are more easily passed from particle to particle and so sound travels faster.

Answer 34

Speed = distance/time

Answer 35

Humans can only hear a certain range of frequencies. The range of frequencies a person can hear is called a hearing range. Hearing range can be tested using a pitch sweep, where the frequency is gradually increased. The average healthy human has a hearing range or 20Hz to 20,000Hz.

Answer 36

As we get older, our ability to hear high pitched sounds deteriorates because we are exposed to more sound and the hair cells on the cochlea can’t regenerate when they’re damaged. Shopkeepers use this to their advantage and a device called a mosquito has been developed which emits a frequency of around 20,000Hz this can annoy the younger generation and stop them from loitering around the shop. Some human rights activists say that this is discrimination against young people.

Answer 37

``` Dolphin: 70Hz-150,000Hz Bat: 1000Hz - 150,000Hz Mouse: 100H- 100,000Hz Cat: 100Hz-60,000Hz Dog: 49Hz-45,000Hz Elephant: 1Hz-20,000Hz Human: 20Hz - 20,000Hz Grasshopper: 2000Hz - 18,000Hz ```

Answer 38

The outer ear consists of the parts which are exposed on the outside of the head. The most obvious part is the pinna, which is made of flexible cartilage covered with skin. This funnels sound waves down the ear canal to the ear drum which is made from very thin skin so it can vibrate with the sound.

Answer 39

The middle ear contains three small bones called the ossicles which amplify the vibrations and transmit them from the ear drum to the oval window. The rest of the space is filled with air. The ear drum needs to form a perfect seal if it is to respond to the smallest vibrations. But the middle ear cannot be completely closed, otherwise a change in pressure on the outside ,such as when we dive into a pool or go up in a plane, might burst the ear drum. The middle ear is therefore connected to the throat by the eustation tube, and this means that the air pressure inside the ear can be matched to the outside.

Answer 40

The oval window transmits vibrations to the cochlea, which is filled with fluid. The cochlea contains nerve endings, which are stimulated by the vibrating fluid and send impulses to the brain. The brain then interprets these impulses as sound.

Answer 41

Painful ringing in the ear