Sound Waves

Sound and Waves

When an object or substance vibrates, it produces sound. These sound waves can only travel through a solid, liquid or gas. They cannot travel through empty space. Sound waves are longitudinal waves - the vibrations are in the same direction as the direction of travel. Sound waves are produced by all vibrating objects. Loudspeakers work by converting electrical energy into kinetic energy. This moves the cone which creates the sound waves.

Sound waves can reflect off surfaces. We hear sound reflections as echoes. Hard, smooth surfaces are particularly good at reflecting sound. This is why empty rooms produce lots of echoes.Soft, rough surfaces are good at absorbing sound. This is why rooms with carpets and curtains do not usually produce lots of echoes.

We can detect…