Topic 36 Waves - Introduction To Sound Waves

● Waves
Topic 36: Waves – Introduction to sound waves
36.1 understand what causes sound in terms of vibrations of objects
sound travels as a type of wave – details of them being longitudinal is NOT required
Longitudinal waves
Sound waves are longitudinal waves - the vibrations are in the same direction as the
direction of travel.
describe how moving vibrations form a wave – use of a loudspeaker to illustrate this idea
Loudspeakers and headphones

Headphones, which contain small loudspeakers, use the reverse effect to microphones - the
motor effect. In these devices, variations in an electric current cause variations in the
magnetic field produced by an electromagnet.
This causes a cone to move, which creates pressure variations in the air and forms sound
waves
A loudspeaker converts electrical signals into sound waves

Alternating current supplied to the loudspeaker creates sound waves in the following way:
1. a current in the coil creates a magnetic field

2. the magnetic field interacts with the permanent magnet generating a force, which
pushes the cone outwards
3. the current is made to flow in the opposite direction
4. the direction of the magnetic field reverses
5. the force on the cone now pulls it back in
6. repeatedly alternating the current direction makes the cone vibrate in and out
7. the cone vibrations cause pressure variations in the air - which are sound waves
To make a loudspeaker cone vibrate correctly, the elastic current must vary in the same way
as the desired sound.
36.2 understand the terms volume, pitch, frequency (measured in hertz (Hz)) and amplitude and the
links between them
sound can be represented by wave trace diagrams
interpret volume, pitch, frequency and amplitude in relation to wave trace diagrams
for example, the greater the amplitude the greater the volume; the higher the frequency the higher
the pitch
Wavelength – distance between the same points on two consecutive waves,
Amplitude – distance from equilibrium line to the maximum displacement (crest or trough)
Frequency – the number of waves that pass a single point per second
Period – the time taken for a whole wave to completely pass a single point
Wavefront – the plane in which the wave travels (i.e. the direction of the wave)
velocity = frequency × wavelength
v = fλ
Wave speed (metre/second, m/s) = frequency (hertz, Hz) × wavelength (metre, m)

Relationships
- Increase frequency, velocity increases
- Wavelength increases, velocity increases
- Period is inversely proportional to frequency
- Smaller period, higher frequency, greater velocity
Oscilloscope traces
The graphs shown by an oscilloscope are called oscilloscope traces. The diagrams
show some typical oscilloscope traces for sound:
Oscilloscope traces for sound waves
For a wave:
 the amplitude is the maximum height of the wave from its resting position – the
greater the amplitude, the louder the sound
 the wavelength is the distance between the crests (tops) of two waves next to each
other (or any other two identical point on waves next to each other)
 the frequency is the number of waves per second – the higher the frequency, the
closer together the waves are and the higher the pitch
Diagrams 1 and 2 show two sounds with the same wavelength and frequency, so
they will have the same pitch. The sound in diagram 2 has a greater amplitude than
the one in diagram 1, so it will be louder.
Diagrams 2 and 3 show two sounds with a different wavelength and frequency. The
sound in diagram 3 has a higher frequency than the one in diagram 2, so its pitch will
be higher.
36.3 know how sound travels through a medium
compare speed of sound in air/water/solids

Sound through different materials
Sound travels faster through liquids and solids than it does through air and other
gases. The table gives some examples.
Substance Speed of sound
Air 343 m/s
Water 1493 m/s
Steel 5130 m/s
This is because the particles of gases are further apart than liquids and finally solids.
Sound waves move more slowly when particles are further apart.
Table 1 shows the speed of sound in different materials.
The speed of sound through a material increases as the temperature of the material increases.
The effect of temperature is greatest in gases.
For example, the speed of sound in air increases from about 330 m/s to about 350 m/s as the air
temperature increases from 0° to 30°C.
Topic 37: Waves – Sound detection
37.1 know how animals use ears to detect sound
know that the outer ear collects and directs sound waves on to the ear drum causing the ear drum
to vibrate; the inner ear converts vibrations into electrical signals (details of the inner ear NOT
required); the brain interprets the electrical signals as sound
We can detect sound using our ears. An ear has an eardrum inside, connected to three small bones.
The vibrations in the air make the eardrum vibrate, and these vibrations are passed through the
three small bones (called ossicles) to a spiral structure called the cochlea. Signals are passed from
the cochlea to the brain through the auditory nerve, and our brain interprets these signals as sound.
A diagram to show the inner structure of the ear
37.2 know that sound waves transfer energy
know ways in which sound is used, for example communication, ultrasound, and sonar
Ultrasound
The frequency of sound waves is measured in hertz, which has the symbol Hz. The bigger the
number, the greater the frequency and the higher the pitch of the sound. Human beings can
generally hear sounds as low as 20 Hz and as high as 20,000 Hz (20 kHz).
The normal range of human hearing and ultrasound

High pitched
Sound with a frequency of more than 20,000 Hz is called ultrasound. It is too high pitched for
humans to hear, but other animals (such as dogs, cats and bats) can hear ultrasound.
Ultrasound has many applications in medicine, including ultrasound scans to check on the
health of unborn babies.
An ultrasound image of an unborn baby
Sound and ultrasound are pressure waves that transfer energy from place to place. Ultrasound
can be used to clean jewellery. The jewellery is placed in an ultrasonic bath, where the rapid
vibrations shake the dirt loose. Ultrasound can also be used for physiotherapy. Its energy is
absorbed by soft tissue in the body, bringing relief from sprains and arthritis (painful joints).
Echo sounding
High frequency sound waves can be used to detect objects in deep water and to measure
water depth.
The time between a pulse of sound being transmitted and detected and the speed of sound in
water can be used to calculate the distance of the reflecting surface or object.
The process is very similar to ultrasound imaging.
For deep water, 50 kHz is the preferred frequency of the ultrasound.
This is because water absorbs sound waves at a slower rate than for lower frequencies and so
the signal can travel farther before becoming too weak to use.
This technique is applied in sonar systems used to measure the depth of the seabed and to
find shipwrecks, submarines and shoals of fish.
SONAR stands for SOund Navigation And Ranging.
Bats and dolphins use a similar method, called echolocation, to detect their surroundings and
to find food.
Example
A sonar system on a boat sends an ultrasound pulse towards the seabed.
The pulse is reflected, and it is detected 0.1 s later by the system.
Calculate the depth of water if the speed of sound in water is 1,480 m/s.
Answer
distance = speed × time
speed = 1,480 m/s
time for ultrasound to travel to seabed and back again = 0.1 s
time for ultrasound to travel to seabed = 0.1 s ÷ 2 = 0.05 s
distance to seabed = 1,480 × 0.05 = 74 m
The depth of water is 74 m.

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● Waves

Topic 36: Waves – Introduction to sound waves

36.1 understand what causes sound in terms of vibrations of objects

Loudspeakers and headphones

A loudspeaker converts electrical signals into sound waves

1. a current in the coil creates a magnetic field

sound can be represented by wave trace diagrams

Wavelength – distance between the same points on two consecutive waves,

velocity = frequency × wavelength

Wave speed (metre/second, m/s) = frequency (hertz, Hz) × wavelength (metre, m)

- Increase frequency, velocity increases

- Wavelength increases, velocity increases

- Period is inversely proportional to frequency

- Smaller period, higher frequency, greater velocity

36.3 know how sound travels through a medium

compare speed of sound in air/water/solids

Substance Speed of sound

Air 343 m/s

Water 1493 m/s

Steel 5130 m/s

Table 1 shows the speed of sound in different materials.

The effect of temperature is greatest in gases.

Topic 37: Waves – Sound detection

37.1 know how animals use ears to detect sound

A diagram to show the inner structure of the ear

37.2 know that sound waves transfer energy

The normal range of human hearing and ultrasound

An ultrasound image of an unborn baby

The process is very similar to ultrasound imaging.

For deep water, 50 kHz is the preferred frequency of the ultrasound.

SONAR stands for SOund Navigation And Ranging.

The pulse is reflected, and it is detected 0.1 s later by the system.

speed = 1,480 m/s

time for ultrasound to travel to seabed and back again = 0.1 s

time for ultrasound to travel to seabed = 0.1 s ÷ 2 = 0.05 s

distance to seabed = 1,480 × 0.05 = 74 m

The depth of water is 74 m.

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