Physics Final Exam

Displacements are given + or - signs depending on the direction of the displacement. Amplitude is the largest distance from the normal position that the medium is displaced. The wavelength l of a wave is the distance from one point to the next corresponding point. The period T of a wave is the time in seconds that it takes one wavelength to pass by. In this time the medium will complete one oscillation.

A transverse wave is when these transverse particles move perpendicular to the motion of the wave. For example if you move the slinky again which ever way the vibrations on the slinky are moving the transverse particles are moving perpendicular to that wave. Sound is also a mechanical wave, this aspect comes from the motion of the wave and the particles moving in that wave. When sound moves in a longitudinal wave there are parts of the wave in which some parts are compressed and other parts are farther apart, these distances in the wave are known as compressions and Morgan 2 rarefactions, rarefactions in a wave consists of molecules with the least amount of force being applied pressure and compressions in a wave consist of molecules with the most amount of force bein... ... middle of paper ... ...s chain reaction continues until the brain recognizes the sound that you are hearing. There are diseases that can prevent sounds from getting to the brain and also nutrients from getting to the brain which cause cell death and makes it harder for the brain to function.

Sound is a longitudinal wave. Rapid vibrations of the object create longitudinal or compression waves of sound (Kurtus). Sound has specific characteristics. Sound has wavelengths, frequency, amplitude, and speed or velocity. Wavelength is the distance from one crest of the wave to another.

These crests and troughs occur at regular intervals in the wave. So, when these waves from the two slits in the wall start intersecting, the crests and troughs start intersecting with each other; this is known as an interference pattern. If the periods of the waves are lined up, or rather the waves are in phase with each other, the crests and troughs of the two waves overlap and reinforce each other. That is, it looks like there is a wave that is twice as large as one of the original waves at a particular point of intersection; this is known as constructive interference. Now, lets consider a point of intersection where the crest of one wave is present where the trough of the other wave is present.

Each stereocilium is linked to another through structures called "tip links" (1) , (3) As the stereocilia move towards the tallest ones, the tip links cause ion channels to open, depolarizing the cell and allowing free K+ to move into the cell (1). Importantly, the stereocilia move in direct response to the sound waves and are cumulative rather than spiking. Neurotransmitter release corresponds to the frequency and amplitude (pitch and volume) of a sound input. Sounds must be sufficiently loud and within a given range in order to cause action potentials. Different sounds will produce different outputs, allowing for discrimination of harmony on a neural level (1).

The next major property is amplitude. Amplitude is measured by the height of the wave. The higher the wave, the stronger the signal of the wave is. The final property you must know is frequency. Frequency is the amount of times a wavelength transpires in a second.

Because of this each wave takes slightly less time to reach the observer than the one before it. Therefore the time between the successive wave crests arrival to the observer is reduced. This ends up causing an increase in the frequency. While the waves are travelling, the distance between successive wave fronts is reduced so the waves get closer together (bunch). Likewise, If the source of waves is moving away from the observer, each wave is emitted from a position that is further from the observer than the wave before it, so the arrival time between successive waves is increased.

In acoustical problems the sound intensity is expressed by another convenient unit called decibel (dB) which 1/10 of bel unit. Intensity of sound is a physical measurement of a sound that relates to how loud sound is perceived. The term used to express human perception of intensity is loudness, a word which has a special meaning in architectural acoustics. Pitch is the term used to indicate human response to the frequency of sound. Loudness is a composite judgement which depends on the frequency of sound as well as its intensity.

The frequency of a sound wave is the number of these oscillations that passes through a given point each second. It is the compression of the medium particles that actually constitute a sound wave, and which classifies it as longitudinal. As opposed to transverse waves (eg. light waves), in which case the particles move perpendicular to the direction of the wave movement, the medium particles are moving in the same or opposite direction as the wave (Russell, D. A., 1998). Compression and rarefaction of particles forming sound waves.

Acoustic Waves in Physics An acoustic wave can simply be described as a longitudinal wave. A longitudinal wave is a wave that vibrates and moves in the direction of its propagation. This means the medium is either in the same or opposite direction of the way the wave travels. Acoustic waves are a form of Mechanical longitudinal waves; these waves are otherwise known as compression waves or compressional waves. Compressional waves obviously produce compression, decompression, and rarefaction to travel.