Introduction

INTRODUCTION
Properties of sound, Propagation of sound,

Audio frequency range, Loudness
WHAT IS SOUND?
Sound is a vibration that travels through the medium in the form of longitudinal waves. This means that sound waves are
waves in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation.
Sound waves are called mechanical waves since they require a medium to propagate.
The medium can be solids, liquids or gases.
There are several ways in which sounds can differ from one another –
● They can be louder or softer

● They can be a high or low pitch
● They can be melodic or just Noisy
MEASURABLE QUALITY EFFECTS ON EAR
● Intensity —------------------------ Loudness

● Frequency —--------------------- Pitch
● Harmonic Content —----------- Quality
PROPERTIES OF SOUND
● Frequency or Pitch
● Intensity
● Loudness
● Quality or Timbre
1. FREQUENCY OR PITCH OF THE SOUND
● Pitch or Frequency of sound is defined as “Number of cycles or vibrations that a sounding body makes (or the
number of vibrations that strikes the ear from the sounding source) per second.
● It also refers to the highness or lowness of a sound
● The greater the number of cycles per unit time, the higher will be the pitch of the sound
● The frequency of sound is expressed in terms of “Cycles Per Second” or “C.P.S.”
● Human ears can listen to the sound frequencies ranging from 20 C.P.S. to 20,000 C.P.S.
● The frequency or Pitch is a measure of the quality of sound and it does not, in any way affect the velocity of sound in
a particular medium.
PURE TONE : consists of single frequency
COMPLEX TONE : consist of more than one frequency
All harmonics are octaves, but not all octaves are harmonics.
2. INTENSITY
● The amount of energy crossing per unit area per unit time perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave.
● It is express in term of W/m2
● Human ear can detect sounds with an intensity as low as 10–12 W/m2
as high as 1 W/m2
The intensity of sound depends -
Threshold of pain
● Amplitude of source
● Surface area of the source
● Density of the medium
● Frequency of the source
● Distance of the observer
Threshold of hearing
SPL = Sound pressure level SIL = Sound intensity level
P = Actual sound pressure in Pa I = Actual sound intensity in W/m2
Pref = 2 x10-5 Pa I0 = 10-12 W/m2
3. LOUDNESS
This is a subjective interpretation that varies from person to person
It is related to the following -
● The energy of a vibrating object

● The condition of the air the sound wave travels through
● The distance between the observer and the sound
source
Intensity for various sources

4. QUALITY OR TIMBRE OF SOUND
● The quality of a sound which enables us to distinguish between two notes of same pitch and loudness played by two
different instruments or produced by two different voices
● For example, Difference between a male and a female voice even through they are produced at same frequency and
have the same loudness
Characteristics of timbre
PROPAGATION OF SOUND
How does sound travel ?
Propagation means "movement through" Sound will propagate through air and
water.
All media have three properties which affect the behavior of sound propagation :
1. A relationship between density and pressure. This relationship, affected by temperature, determines the speed of sound
within the medium.
2. The motion of the medium itself, e.g., wind. Independent of the motion of sound through the medium, if the medium is
moving, the sound is further transported.
3. The viscosity of the medium. This determines the rate at which sound energy is reduce. For many media, such as air or
water, loss of energy due to viscosity is negligible.
SOUND PROPAGATION IN ROOM
FACTORS INFLUENCING OUTDOOR SOUND PROPAGATION
EXAMPLES ON TRANSMISSION OF SOUND
If a light is shining on a person, and a book is placed directly between them, the person will no longer be able to see the
light (a shadow is cast by the book on the eyes of the observer).
However, if one person is speaking to another, then placing a book between them will hardly affect the sounds heard at all;
the sound waves are able to go around the book to the observer's ears.
On the other hand, placing a high wall between a highway and houses can greatly decrease the sounds of the traffic noises
if the dimensions of the wall (height and length) are large compared with the wavelength of the traffic sounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32q5x-81H5Q
Audio frequency range
The audio frequency

spectrum represents
the range of frequencies
that the human ear can
interpret.
Sound frequency is
measured in Hertz (Hz)
unit.
This audible frequency

range, in the average
person at birth, is from
20Hz to 20000Hz, or 20
kHz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNf9nzvnd1k
Sound and Frequency
The frequency range is divided into low,

medium and high frequencies.
The instrument used for measuring sound

is decibel meter.
A normal human hearing range typically

falls between 0 to 140 decibels
A whisper -30 dB,
Normal conversation - 60 dB
A motorcycle engine running-95 dB
Noise above 70 dB over a prolonged

period of time may start to damage your
hearing.
Loud noise above 120 dB can cause

immediate harm to your ears.
Name Frequency Sound
Sub Bass 20 to 60 Hz
Bass 60 to 250 Hz
Low midrange 250 to 500 Hz
Midrange 500 Hz to 2 kHz
High midrange 2 to 4 kHz
Presence 4 to 6 kHz
Brilliance 6 to 20 kHz
The frequency range in which the frequency of the
upper boundary is twice as large as the lower one is
called the octave frequency. The octaves are for
example the frequency ranges: 20 ~ 40 Hz, 250 ~
500 Hz, 3 ~ 6 kHz.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228446442_FUNDAMENTALS_OF_ROOM_ACOUSTICS
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/octave-bands-frequency-limits-d_1602.html
Examples of objects that produce low-frequency noise include:
Motors, diesel engines

Large fans
Large compressors
Exhausts
Examples of objects that emit high-frequency noise include:
Small compressors
Small fans
Turbochargers
Small motors
Common applications that produce high and low-frequency noise include:
Vacuum cleaners
Ambulances
Fire trucks
https://www.techniconacoustics.com/blog/high-vs-low-frequency-noise-whats-the-difference/
LOUDNESS
The loudness of a sound relates the intensity of any given sound to the intensity at the threshold of
hearing.
It is measured in decibels (dB).
If the amplitude of the sound wave is large, then the sound is said to be loud.
There is a relationship between the loudness of a sound and its amplitude.
Noise is defined as sounds above 80 dB.

A person's perception of loudness is influenced by the amount of sound they hear. A sound's volume is
determined by its intensity, which is itself governed by its frequency. Sounds are measured by their
intensity or the energy they hold. Intensity is measured in decibels (dB). In this way, the loudness of
sounds is determined by its intensity. There are two factors that determine how intense a sound is: the
size of the sound waves and the distance from their source.
● Sound waves are measured according to their amplitude.

● Wave amplitude is determined by the energy that caused them.
● Waves with larger amplitudes have more energy and are more intense, so they are louder.

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Properties of sound, Propagation of sound,

The medium can be solids, liquids or gases.

● They can be louder or softer

MEASURABLE QUALITY EFFECTS ON EAR

● Intensity —------------------------ Loudness

COMPLEX TONE : consist of more than one frequency

The intensity of sound depends -

This is a subjective interpretation that varies from person to person

It is related to the following -

● The energy of a vibrating object

Intensity for various sources

How does sound travel ?

The audio frequency

This audible frequency

The frequency range is divided into low,

The instrument used for measuring sound

A normal human hearing range typically

A whisper -30 dB,

A motorcycle engine running-95 dB

Noise above 70 dB over a prolonged

Loud noise above 120 dB can cause

Low midrange 250 to 500 Hz

Midrange 500 Hz to 2 kHz

High midrange 2 to 4 kHz

Motors, diesel engines

Examples of objects that emit high-frequency noise include:

Common applications that produce high and low-frequency noise include:

It is measured in decibels (dB).

There is a relationship between the loudness of a sound and its amplitude.

Noise is defined as sounds above 80 dB.

● Sound waves are measured according to their amplitude.

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