Science
Sound waves.
Definition
Sound waves are longitudinal mechanical waves produced by vibrating objects. They consist of compressions (high-pressure regions) and rarefactions (low-pressure regions) that propagate through a medium. Pitch corresponds to frequency, and loudness corresponds to amplitude.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 A tuning fork producing a pure tone at a specific frequency
- 2 A subwoofer creating low-frequency bass waves you can feel in your chest
- 3 An ultrasound machine using high-frequency sound waves to image a fetus
Key Fact
Human hearing range: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz; ultrasound > 20,000 Hz; infrasound < 20 Hz