Sound
Sound is a form of energy that appeals to the sense of
hearing. Sound is produced by a body which is in a state of vibration.
For instance, a
vibrating tuning fork’s sound requires a material medium for it is propagation because
sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum. If sound waves need a medium like
solid, liquid, or gas. So that in space we cannot speak with our nearby
person.
Longitudinal
waves
A longitudinal wave
is one in which the particles vibrate parallel to the direction of propagation
of sound. The waves produced by a vibrating tuning fork are longitudinal.
Transverse waves
A transverse wave
is one in which the particles of the medium vibrate perpendicular to the
direction of propagation of sound.
Wavelength
Wavelength is the distance between two successive particles
in the same state of vibration.
Period
The time taken
by the vibrating body to make one oscillation is a period.
Frequency
The frequency of
the wave is the number of times the particles of the medium vibrate per second.
Velocity
The velocity of
sound is the distance travelled by the sound wave in one second.
Musical sound
In general, sound can be classified as musical sound and
noise. A pleasant sound produced by a regular, continuous simple vibration is a
musical sound. On the other hand, noise is produced by irregular vibration.
Characteristics of musical sound
Pitch
The characteristic
that enables us to distinguish a shrill sound from a dull sound is pitch. The higher
the frequency, the shriller the sound and the greater will be the pitch. The pitch
depends on the frequency.
Intensity
Intensity defines
the volume of the loudness of the sound. The intensity of a musical note depends on
the square of the amplitude.
Quality
Quality or
timbre is that characteristic that enables us to distinguish the musical sounds
of the same pitch and intensity produced by different musical instruments. This
is the most important characteristic of music. It depends on the shape of the
sound wave produced.
Resonance
The air column
inside a pipe can be set in vibration with the same frequency as that of the
excited tuning fork. The intensity of the sound will be maximum in such a case due
to the reinforcement of sound. This is called resonance.
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