Book O - Chapter 2: The Nature of Sound
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36 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Amplitude | the maximum distance a wave vibrates from its rest position |
| Compression | a region of higher density or pressure in a wave |
| Constructive interference | interference that results in a wave that has a greater amplitude than that of the individual waves |
| Decibel | (dB) the most common unit used to express loudness |
| Destructive interference | interference that results in a wave that has a smaller amplitude than that of the individual waves |
| Diffraction | the bending of waves around a barrier or through an opening |
| Doppler effect | the apparent change in the frequency of a sound caused by the motion of either the listener or the source of the sound (refers to sound only) |
| Echo | a reflected sound wave |
| Echolocation | the process of using reflected sound waves to find objects |
| Frequency | the number of waves produced in a given amount of time |
| Fundamental | the lowest resonant frequency |
| Hertz | (Hz) the unit used to express frequency; one hertz is one cycle per second |
| Infrasonic | the term describing sounds with frequencies lower than 20 Hz |
| Inner ear | the part of the ear where vibrations created by sound are changed into electrical signals for the brain to interpret |
| Interference | a wave interaction that occurs when two or more waves overlap |
| Loudness | how loud or soft a sound is perceived to be |
| Medium | a substance through which a wave can travel |
| Middle ear | the part of the ear where the amplitude of sound vibrations is increased |
| Noise | any undesired sound, especially nonmusical sound, that includes a random mix of pitches |
| Oscilloscope | a device used to graph representations of sound waves |
| Outer ear | "the part of the ear that acts as a funnel to direct sound waves into the middle ear" |
| Overtones | resonant frequencies that are higher than the fundamental |
| Pitch | how high or low a sound is perceived to be |
| Rarefaction | a region of lower density or pressure in a wave |
| Reflection | the bouncing back of a wave after it strikes a barrier or an object |
| Resonance | what occurs when an object vibrating at or near a resonant frequency of a second object causes the second object to vibrate |
| Resonant frequencies | the frequencies at which standing waves are made |
| Sonar | (sound navigation and ranging) a type of electronic echolocation |
| Sonic boom | "the explosive sound heard when a shock wave from an object traveling faster than the speed of sound reaches a person's ears" |
| Sound quality | the result of several pitches blending together through interference |
| Standing wave | "a wave that forms a stationary pattern in which portions of the wave do not move and other portions move with a large amplitude" |
| Tinnitus | hearing loss resulting from damage to the hair cells and nerve endings in the cochlea |
| Ultrasonic | the term describing sounds with frequencies higher than 20,000 Hz |
| Ultrasonography | "a medical procedure that uses echoes from ultrasonic waves to "see" inside a patient's body without performing surgery" |
| Vibration | the complete back-and-forth motion of an object |
| Wave | a disturbance that transmits energy through matter or space |
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