1-8 Sound Wave Characteristics

How Does Sound Travel To Your Ears?

Stop and listen to the sounds around you. Where are these sounds coming from? Do they come to you directly from the source of sound or are they being bounced off walls or traveling around a wall to reach your ears? It is quite common for waves to undergo refraction, interference, reflection, and diffraction as they make their journey from one source to another. In this lesson we will learn about the following characteristics of traveling waves:

Refraction

This only occurs in light waves (not sound waves).

This takes place when light passes from one medium into a second medium causing the light path to bend. This is why a pencil in a glass of water will look smaller or bigger depending on the angle you are looking at the glass.

Interference

This occurs when two or more waves are traveling along the same medium.

Eventually the two waves will meet, causing them to take on a new shape.

Reflection

This occurs when sound waves hit a wall,ceiling, floor, etc.

The object will partially absorb and partially transmit the waves back to the source. This happens when you shout on a mountain and the sound is echoed back to you.

Diffraction

This occurs when waves bend around obstacles and corners.

The larger the ratio of bending is found with the equation:

   = wavelength / obstacle dimension

Continue: #REDIRECT 1-9 Intensity of Sound Waves

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