Chapter 3 Online Lecture Here are the additional key points I would like to pull out from Chapter

3. Sound is a pressure disturbance that moves through a medium in the form of a mechanical wave. The transfer of energy from one particle to the next is how sound travels through a medium. Mechanical wave is the term used to describe the distribution of energy through a medium by the transfer of energy from one particle to the next. Waves of sound move outward in all directions from the source. Without energywe have no sound. In class last week I discussed pressure waves being made up of compressions and rare factions. I also discussed needing a source of energy to produce a sound wave and a medium by which to travel. One compression and rarefaction is considered the wavelength. With this said the speed of sound is not constant for all mediums/materials. Sound is a vibration of kinetic energy passed from molecule to molecule. The close the molecules are together the tighter the bonds, the less time it takes for them to pass the sound to each other and the faster sound can travel. Sound travels through any medium. The velocity in which it travels is controlled by the medium. The elasticity of the medium is ONE of the TWO properties that affect the velocity of sound through the medium. The SECOND of the TWO properties WHICH WE HAVE NOT YET DISCUSSED is the DENSITY of the medium. I have stated that the elasticity is the ability of a strained body to return to its original shape after a force is applied (and released). I have also stated that we must have a vibrating source to have sound. The true measure of elasticity is the force it uses to return to its original shape. The density of a medium is the mass per unit volume of that medium. Both physical properties (elasticity and density) will affect how sound travels through a medium. The more elastic the medium, the faster sound will travelthe more dense the medium, the slower sound will travel. The speed of sound is also different for different types of solids, liquids and gases. Elastic properties relate to the tendency of a material to return to its original shape when a force is applied and releasedBUT the DENSITY of a mass or medium will affect how it transmits sound as well. DENSE means the molecules are larger. It takes more energy to make large molecules vibrate compared to smaller moleculesand remember we said that we the medium must have the ability to vibrate in order for sound to travel. While the density of a medium also affects the speed of sound, the elastic properties have a greater influence on the wave.

Now recall that we said sound is caused by molecules of a medium vibrating (must have a source of vibration). Frequency refers to the number of vibrations that an individual particle makes in a specific period of time (in class we discussed this as one second). Particles vibrate at a specific frequency for each sound called its Natural Frequency. To further understand all that weve just discussed lets consider a string that vibrates with a particular fundamental frequency. The four properties of the string that affect its frequency are: length, diameter, tension and density. (Some of this information was discussed in class last Tues). 1. Change the length and the string will vibrate with a different frequency. 2. Diameter/thickness of the string. Thick strings vibrate slower and have lower frequencies than thin ones. 3. Tension refers to how tightly the string is stretched. Tightening the string gives it a higher frequency. 4. The density of a string will also affect its frequency. Remember, dense molecules vibrate at slower speeds. Remember: as length decreases, frequency increases. (Likewise; as length increases, frequency decreases). In class last Tues, I mentioned the physical vs. psychological dimensions of sound. Frequency vs. Pitch and Amplitude vs. Loudness. In class this coming Tues we will discuss the Decibel ;-) and additional units of measurement, localization and finish our discussion on tuning fork tests.