6.3.1

Sound Waves

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Sound Waves

Sound waves are longitudinal waves. Pingu is able to hear the music in his headphones because his eardrum vibrates.

Sound Waves and our Ears

Our ears can detect vibrations (compressions and rarefactions) and transfer the information to our brain via our auditory nerve. Our ears are sensitive to (can hear) a range of frequencies between 20Hz and 20,000 Hz.

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Age

  • The range of frequencies that we can hear changes with age.
  • Elderly people tend to become less sensitive to sounds with a higher frequency.
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Ultrasound

  • Ultrasound has a frequency above 20,000Hz. Humans cannot hear sounds with frequencies this high, but other animals can.
  • Dog whistles have frequencies above 20,000Hz, which is why humans cannot hear them.
  • Ultrasound is also used by doctors to perform scans of a developing foetus.

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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