The Physics of the Sound Wave and its Effects on the Human Ear

1339 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Usage of sound waves

The Physics of the Sound Wave and its Effects on the Human Ear

Could you imagine living in a world without sound? It would be enormously different from the world that we know. Our primary form of inter-human communication would be based on visual or tactile imagery. Our sense of perception would be changed. Telecommunication would be different. We would not have the pleasure of music or the soothing sounds of nature. Sound has had an immense impact on our world. This essay will explore the unseen world of sound waves and how humans perceive them.

Generally, people hear sound waves traveling through air. These waves cannot be seen, but are heard or felt via vibration. Sound waves originate from vibrating objects and travel in longitudinal waves through mediums (such as a solid, a liquid, or a gaseous material). These types of waves are defined by the textbook as: “…wave[s] in which the vibrations of the medium are parallel to the direction the wave is moving.1” Figure 8.52 shows an excellent example of a tuning fork producing longitudinal waves, which are perceived as sound. It is apparent that as the prongs are struck, they move outward. As they move outward, the neighboring air molecules are compressed together creating what is called compression. The tuning fork prongs reverse the pressure as they move inward and cause a rarefaction (the opposite of a compression) in the neighboring air molecules. The process is repeated until the tuning fork returns to its resting state.

As previously stated, sound waves can travel through various mediums. The universal formula to obtain the speed of a sound wave is:Speed=distance/time.

“The faster which a sound wave travels, the more distance it will cover in the same period of tim...

... middle of paper ...

...le that has an intensity of 10-3 W/m2 can be determined2: db = 10 log 10 ( 10-3/10-12 ) = 90-dB.

Decibel levels from 0-80 dB are safe to the human ear. Prolonged exposure to sounds higher than that can result in hearing damage.

With the factors of frequency and amplitude brought into relation of hearing, it is apparent that nothing would be understood without the concepts that can be referred to from physics. Physics enables the analysis of the human’s ability to understand sound waves.

References:

1-Kirkpatrick, L.D. (2001). Physics A World View. (4 ed.) Philadelphia: Harcourt

2-Russell, K. (1997). Sound Waves. Retrieved: 4-30-03 From:

www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/linguistics/ressell/138/sec4/actoust/htm

3-Henderson, T. (1998). Sound Waves and the Eardrum. Retrieved: 4-30-03

From: Http://www.glenbrook.k12/gbssci/phys/mmedia/waves/edl.html 4

Show More
Related

  • Exploring Sound Amplitude in Varying PVC Pipe Lengths

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether if the sound is affected when it travels through different length pipes. The method used to do this experiment was created by using 5 different PVC pipes in the lengths of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 centimeters. Then, using a tuning fork, sound will be produced on one end of the PVC pipe and measured with a decimeter on the other end. This experiment was recorded using 5 trials for each independent level and the average decibels (dB) for each pipe length were recorded.

    Read More

  • Margaret Livingstone Summary

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    The next speaker, Dr. Gottlieb investigated the hearing aspect of our senses. He investigated the interaction between our heari...

    Read More

  • Blues Genre: Muddy Waters

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    11. Kim-Cohen, S. 2009. In the Blink of an Ear: Toward a Non-Cochlear Sonic Art

    Read More

  • Understanding Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    The unit used to measure the intensity of sound is called the decibel(dB). Sounds that measure up to 75dB are considered to be in the "safe zone". Constant exposure to to sound at these levels are very unlikely to cause any lasting damage to long term hearing. The sound of regular volume conversation measures at around 60dB and the sound of a running dishwasher measures at roughly 75dB. Sounds around the 85dB level are considered a moderate risk to hearing. Exposure at these levels for extened periods of time may lead to some form of damage causing NIHL. Sounds at these levels include heavy traffic and crowded areas at 85dB, active subway stations at 95dB and listening to an mp3 player with ear buds at maximum volume at 105dB in which listening for just 15 minutes can cause permanent damage. Sound at 120dB and above are in the "danger zone". This level of sound is to be avoided at all cost as exposure even for a short pulse will lead to immediate permanent damage. This level includes the sound of ambulance sirens at 120dB, a jet taking off at 140dB and gunshots at 165 dB and above. (Rabinowitz,

    Read More

  • Hearing Loss Case Study

    3965 Words  | 8 Pages

    There has to be an understanding of how the ear works, what hearing loss is before looking at the treatments for hearing loss. Hence the essay will go through how the ear works and what causes hearing loss first. Then it will explain the diagnosis process before focusing on the treatments. the essay will be exploring the past, current and the possible future treatments. The essay will also touch upon other ways in which hearing impaired people cope with hearing loss.

    Read More

  • Not "Just Another Name" by Lifehouse

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Covach, John and Andrew Flory. What’s That Sound? 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton

    Read More

  • The Physics of Ultrasound

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ultrasound is sound waves that have a frequency above human audible. (Ultrasound Physics and Instrument 111). With a shorter wavelength than audible sound, these waves can be directed into a narrow beam that is used in imaging soft tissues. As with audible sound waves, ultrasound waves must have a medium in which to travel and are subject to interference. In addition, much like light rays, they can be reflected, refracted, and focused.

    Read More

  • H.S. Level - SOund And Light Waves

    490 Words  | 1 Pages

    Sounds are produced by the vibrations of material objects, and travel as a result of

    Read More

  • The Physics of a Guitar

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    The vibration of the strings of a guitar causes the sound wave, but is not actually what you are hearing. The amplification of the sound wave is what is actually heard. The differences in the tension of the stings and the mass of the strings affect the pitch of the sound produced. The ends of each string are nodes, or where the wave does not travel from its initial position. The note you hear from the string is actually the first harmonic of the wave; other harmonics created when plucking a string form the undertones and overtones of a note. The waves on a guitar string are transverse waves, meaning they travel perpendicular to the original position. The waves are also standing waves, because they remain in the same position.

    Read More

  • Earthquakes

    2186 Words  | 5 Pages

    waves, create vibrations perpendicular to their direction of travel. P waves always travel at faster speeds than S waves, so

    Read More

  • waves

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    A wave pulse causes the medium to have one oscillation. A continuous travelling wave causes the medium to keep oscillating. Waves transfer energy without transporting matter because each part of the medium oscillates on the spot.

    Read More

  • The Physics of the Human Voice

    1638 Words  | 4 Pages

    The voice is our primary mean of communication and expression. We rarely last more than a few minutes without its use whether it is talking to someone else or humming quietly to ourselves. We can use the voice artistically in many ways. For example, singing carries the rhythm and melody of speech. It creates patterns of pitch, loudness, and duration that tie together syllables, phrases and sentences. We use the voice for survival, emotion, expression, and to reflect our personality. The loss of the voice is a severe curtailment to many professions. It is affected by general body condition which is why we need to consider the location of the larynx and how that organ produces voice. Surprisingly, this complex biological design is mechanical in function. It is mechanical to the point that when it has been excised from a cadaver and mounted on a laboratory bench, the larynx produces sounds resembling normal phonation. (Titze, Principles)

    Read More

  • The Use of Sound in Coppola’s The Conversation

    2672 Words  | 6 Pages

    ...11). Sound Upon Sound: The Conversation. [Online] Available from Sound on Sight: http://www.soundonsight.org/sound-upon-sound-the-conversation/ [Accessed 05 February 2012]

    Read More

  • Auditory Sensations

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    Each of the senses receives a different stimulus that allows us to perceive that specific type of information. For hearing the stimulus is sound waves. These are waves of pressure that are conducted through a medium (Martini, 2009). Often this medium is air but it can also be water or a solid object. Each wave consists of a region where the air molecules are gathered together and an opposite region where they are farther apart (Martini, 2009). A wavelength is the distance between either two wave peaks or two wave troughs. The number of waves that pass through a fixed reference point in a given time is the frequency. High pitch sounds have a high frequency where as low pitch sounds have a low frequency (Myers, 2010). The amplitude is the amount of energy, or intensity, in a sound wave. The more energy that a sound wave has, the louder it seems. For us to perceive any of the sound waves around us, they must pass through the external, middle, and inner ea...

    Read More

  • Two Important Sounds In Our Life

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    Presumably, everyone knows that seeing and hearing are the two main senses of people and the fundamentals of our life. These two sentiments are the essences for all human efforts. Although, both of these two higher senses might seem evenly significant, it is not always figured out that hearing has the more substantial effect in identifying the character of our lives. A dog barks, a sheep bleats, clock alarms, these all sounds elicit a particular response in our minds. In our daily lives, people are inundated with a diversity of sounds. Through the sounds we make our life more meaningful and rich in content. There are plenty of sounds which lead my life to be interesting and attractive, nevertheless, the sounds of alarming clock while getting up in the morning, cars in traffic when I am on the way to university, my footsteps while walking on the floor, and the students in break time at ADA café play a great role in my life and probably I hear these 4 sounds in my daily life and they are immensely native for me.

    Read More

More about The Physics of the Sound Wave and its Effects on the Human Ear

Open Document