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Physics LibreTexts

14.10: End of Chapter Key Terms

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Definition: Property of Sound, Doppler Effect & Interferences
  • Sound: the transfer of energy from a vibrating object in waves that travel through matter.
  • Speed of Sound: The speed at which sound waves travel through a medium, influenced by the medium’s properties (e.g., temperature, density).
  • Sound Wave: A mechanical wave that propagates through a medium (such as air, water, or solids) by the vibration of particles.
  • Loudness: The perceived intensity or volume of a sound, related to the amplitude of the sound wave.
  • Intensity: measure of the amount of energy in sound waves.
  • Decibel (dB): A logarithmic unit used to measure the intensity of sound, representing the ratio of a particular sound pressure to a reference level.
  • Amplitude: The maximum displacement of particles in the medium from their rest position, related to the loudness of the sound.
  • Frequency: The number of vibrations or cycles per second of a sound wave, measured in hertz (Hz), determining the pitch of the sound.
  • Pitch: The perceived frequency of a sound; higher frequencies are heard as higher pitches, and lower frequencies as lower pitches.
  • Wavelength: The distance between successive crests or troughs of a sound wave, determining its spatial period.
  • Ultrasound: Sound waves with frequencies above the upper limit of human hearing (>20,000 Hz), used in medical imaging and industrial applications.
  • Infrasound: Sound waves with frequencies below the lower limit of human hearing (<20 Hz), often produced by natural phenomena like earthquakes.
  • Doppler Effect: The change in frequency or wavelength of a sound wave as the source and observer move relative to each other, resulting in a perceived change in pitch.
  • Redshift (Sound): The decrease in frequency (and increase in wavelength) of a sound wave as the source moves away from the observer.
  • Blueshift (Sound): The increase in frequency (and decrease in wavelength) of a sound wave as the source moves toward the observer.
  • Echolocation: The use of reflected sound waves to determine the location of objects, used by animals such as bats and dolphins.
  • Sonar: A technique that uses sound waves to detect and locate objects underwater.

14.10: End of Chapter Key Terms is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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