What Are Sound Waves?
Definition: A wave of compression and rarefaction, by which sound is propagated in an elastic medium such as air.
Sound waves are the vibrations that pass through an object or material. These waves are produced when the sound hits with the materials and objects and vibration is created as a result of this collision. Sound is produced when the frequency of sound is increased or decreased up to certain levels. For example the ears of humans can hear a specific sound frequency. There are different frequencies of sound waves that affect the capabilities of the organisms to hear them.
Sound waves are the vibrations that pass through an object or material. These waves are produced when the sound hits with the materials and objects and vibration is created as a result of this collision. Sound is produced when the frequency of sound is increased or decreased up to certain levels. For example the ears of humans can hear a specific sound frequency. There are different frequencies of sound waves that affect the capabilities of the organisms to hear them.
How Do They Work?
The vibrating sound source causes a disturbance to the surrounding air molecules, causing them to bounce off each other with a force proportional to the disturbance. The energy of their interaction creates ripples of more dense (higher pressure) to less dense (lower pressure) air molecules, with pressures above and below the normal atmospheric pressure. When the molecules are pushed closer together it is called compression; when they are pulled apart, it is called rarefaction. The back and forth oscillation of pressure produces a sound waves.
Sound waves exist as variations of pressure in a medium such as air. They are created by the vibration of an object, which causes the air surrounding it to vibrate. The vibrating air then causes the human eardrum to vibrate, which the brain interprets as sound.
Your ears are extraordinary organs. They pick up all the sounds around you and then translate this information into a form your brain can understand. One of the most remarkable things about this process is that it is completely mechanical. Your sense of smell, taste and vision all involve chemical reactions, but your hearing system is based solely on physical movement.