Sound Waves

• Sound is produced by vibrations and is a type of mechanical energy.
• Sound needs a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) in which to travel.
• Sound travels in compression waves and at a speed much slower than light.
• In a compression wave, matter vibrates in the same direction in which the wave travels.

• All waves exhibit certain characteristics: wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.
  • As wavelength increases, frequency decreases.
  • determine the relationship between frequency and wavelength.
  • A compression (longitudinal) wave consists of a repeating pattern of compressions and rarefactions.
  
  • Wavelength is measured as the distance from one compression to the next compression or the distance from one rarefaction to the next rarefaction.
  • model a compression (longitudinal) wave and diagram, label, and describe the basic components: wavelength, compression, rarefaction, and frequency.
• Sound travels at a speed much slower than light.
  • The speed of sound depends on two things: the medium through which the waves travel and the temperature of the medium.
  • analyze factors that determine the speed of sound through various materials and interpret graphs and charts that display this information.

Resonance and Reflection

• Resonance is the tendency of a system to vibrate at maximum amplitude at certain frequencies.
• identify examples illustrating resonance (e.g., musical instruments, Tacoma Narrows Bridge, crystal stemware).
  
  
  
  


• Reflection and interference patterns are used in ultrasonic technology, including sonar and medical diagnosis.
• describe technological applications of sound waves and generally how each application functions.