Sound


Sound
Summary of Terms
Infrasonic: A sound frequency too low to be heard by the normal human ear. i.e. below 20Hz
Ultrasonic: A sound frequency to high to be heard by the normal human ear. i.e. about 20kHz
Compression: Condensed region of the medium through which a longitudinal wave travels.
Rarefaction: Rarefied region, or region of lessened pressure, of the medium throughout which a longitudinal wave travels.
Reverberation: Re-echoed sound.
Refraction: The bending of a wave through either a nonuniform medium or from one medium to another, caused by differences in wave speed.
Forced Vibration: The setting up of vibrations in an object by a vibrating force.
Natural Frequency: A frequency at which an elastic object naturally tends to vibrate, so that minimum energy is required to produce a forced vibration or to continue vibration at that frequency.
Resonance: The result of forced vibrations in a body when an applied frequency matches the natural frequency of the body.
Beats: A series of alternate reinforcements and cancellations produced by the interference of two sets of superimposed waves of different frequencies, heard as a throbbing effect in sound waves.
Carrier Wave: The wave, usually of radio frequency, whose characteristics are modified in the process of modulation.
Modulation: The process of impressing one wave system upon another of higher frequency.
Amplitude Modulation: A type of modulation in which the amplitude of the carrier wave is varied above and below its normal value by an amount proportional to the amplitude of the impressed wave.
Frequency Modulation: A type of modulation in which the frequency of the carrier wave is varied above and below its normal frequency be an amount that is proportional to the amplitude of the impressed signal. In this case, the amplitude of the modulated carrier wave remains constant.
Transverse Wave: A wave in which the individual particles of a medium vibrate from side to side perpendicularly to the direction in which the wave travels. (Strings)
Longitudinal Wave: A wave in which the individual particles of a medium vibrate back and forth in the direction in which the wave travels. (Sound)
Interference Pattern: The pattern formed by superposition of different sets of waves that produces mutual reinforcement in some places and cancellation in others.
Standing Wave: A stationary wave pattern formed in a medium when two sets of identical waves pass through the medium in opposite directions.
Doppler Effect: Change in frequency of sound or lighter due to relative motion of source and receiver.
Bow Wave: The V-shaped wave made by an object moving across a liquid surface at a speed greater than the wave velocity.
Shock Wave: The cone-shaped wave made by an object moving at supersonic speed through a fluid.
Sonic Boom: The loud sound resulting from the incidence of a shock wave.

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