Sound Waves

The Production of Sound Waves

Requires a vibrating object
ex: a tuning fork Vibrating prongs set nearby air molecules into motion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oGwFDQNJps

Compression vs. Rarefaction

What Happens to the Molecules?

As the prong swings to the right, it increases air pressure -> lower pressure due to fewer molecules to the left
Compression: region of high molecular density and high air pressure

As the prong swings to the left, it allows the molecules to the right to decompress and spread out, causing the density and air pressure to drop
Rarefaction: region of lower density and pressure

Compressions and rarefactions spread out in all directions

Wave Questions
When a tuning fork vibrates with SHM, what does it cause the molecules to do? What type of wave is a sound wave? Are air particles that vibrate carried across a room by a sound wave? Why/Why not? If not, what is transferred? A sine wave is used to model changes in air pressure due to the propagation of sound waves
What do the crests represent? The troughs?

Characteristics of Sound Waves

Audible Sound Waves: 20- 20,000 Hz
What can influence this range? Below 20 Hz: infrasonic Above 20,000 Hz: ultrasonic

What would the wavelength ranges be in order for humans to hear them in water? Sea Water?

Pitch
A measure of how high or low a sound is perceived to be, depending on the frequency of the sound wave As the frequency increases, what happens to the pitch? Pitch also depends factors such as background noise and loudness

Speed of Sound Depends on

The medium! How quickly one particle can transfer its motion to another Which molecules would respond more quickly to a disturbance- Solid or gas? Why? How does this affect speed? How does temperature influence speed?
As temperature rises, what happens to the molecules of a gas?

Sound Waves Propagate in 3 Dimensions

Wave fronts are spherical
Circles represent the centers of compressions (wave fronts) -> each circle represents a spherical area Distance between adjacent wave fronts = one Rays: radial lines perpendicular to the wave fronts
Indicate direction of wave motion One ray: sine curve
Each wave front crossed by ray: crest of sine curve

Spherical Waves Contd.

If a wave front is many wavelengths away from the source, the rays become parallel lines
Wave fronts are parallel planes Plane waves: 1-D waves all traveling in the same direction

Applications: Ultrasound Images

Sound waves are partially reflected when they hit a boundary between 2 objects with differing densities Allows for clear, detailed imaging (high frequency, short can be reflected off small object) Crystal acts as a receiver and detector for reflected sound waves -> convert to electrical signal -> image must be <= size of object
F used in an ultrasonic device = 10 MHz Speed in human tissue = 1500 m/s = 0.15mm

The Doppler Effect

What happens to the pitch of an ambulance siren as it moves towards and away from you? How does this occur? (The frequency of the source remains constant) Relative motion between a moving ambulance and a stationary observer affects the way the wave fronts of the sound waves are perceived by the observer Wave front reach an observer in front of an ambulance more often than if the ambulance wasnt moving
Source moves towards observer Speed of sound constant, f constant As decreases, the frequency heard by an Observer in front is greater than the source f

Observer B
The wave fronts reach an observer behind an ambulance less often than if the ambulance wasnt moving
F heard by Observer B < f of source

Doppler Effect: an observed change in frequency when there is relative motion between the source of waves and an observer

When does this occur?

Also occurs with a moving observer and stationary source
remains same, f changed due to motion of ear relative to the medium (velocity of wave with respect to observer changed)

Or when both are moving at different velocities Occurs whenever there is relative motion between both Also occurs with all waves
Electromagnetic, light, etc.

How would you explain Sheldons costume?

Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCEhidp8tiA As a dolphin swims toward a fish, the dolphin sends out sound waves to determine the direction the fish is moving. If the frequency of the reflected waves is higher than that of the emitted waves, is the dolphin catching up to the fish or falling behind?