Sound waves
Sound Waves
Sound waves (/saʊnd weɪvz/) are a type of wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.
Etymology
The term "sound wave" originates from the Latin word "sonus" which means sound, and the English word "wave", which refers to the pattern of disturbance caused by the movement of energy.
Related Terms
- Frequency: The number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. In the context of sound waves, it refers to the number of cycles of compression and rarefaction a sound wave completes in a given unit of time.
- Amplitude: The maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium. In sound waves, it refers to the maximum displacement of the particles of the medium from their rest positions.
- Wavelength: The distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave.
- Decibel: A unit used to measure the intensity of a sound or the power level of an electrical signal by comparing it with a given level on a logarithic scale.
- Pitch: The perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. It is more specifically a particular auditory impression, primarily a linguistic one, related to the frequency of vibration producing it.
- Echo: A reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound.
- Ultrasound: Sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Sound waves
- Wikipedia's article - Sound waves
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski