Sound waves have a few important features that help us understand how they work. Let’s break them down:
-
Frequency:
- This tells us how high or low a sound is.
- It is measured in a unit called Hertz (Hz).
- Humans can hear sounds that range from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
-
Wavelength:
- Wavelength is how far apart the waves are.
- It is related to frequency: when one goes up, the other goes down.
- We can calculate wavelength using a simple formula:
[
\lambda = \frac{v}{f}
]
Here, (v) is the speed of the sound wave (which is about 343 meters per second in the air), and (f) is the frequency.
-
Amplitude:
- Amplitude tells us how loud a sound is.
- It is measured in decibels (dB).
- For reference, 0 dB is the quietest sound a person can hear.
-
Speed:
- The speed of sound can change depending on where it is traveling.
- For example, sound travels at 343 m/s in air, but it goes faster at 1482 m/s in water.
-
Doppler Effect:
- This is what happens when a sound source moves.
- As it moves closer or farther away, the frequency of the sound changes, which means it can sound different to our ears.
These characteristics help us understand how sound behaves in our everyday life!