Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
By Javier Navarro, on Feb. 2011
Sound is transmitted through longitudinal waves. Its intensity depends on the wave amplitude and the greater it is, the more intensely the eardrum perceives an emission of sounds. On the other hand, the tone makes it possible to differentiate between bass and treble sounds (a sound is sharper if its frequency is higher). By means of the timbre it is possible to distinguish two equal notes emitted by different instruments. These and other principles associated with sound are studied in a discipline of physics, acoustics.
Every physical structure has a particular note that makes it resonate
In other words, all matter has a sound frequency that makes it vibrate. This phenomenon is known as resonance. From a scientific point of view, the number of vibrations per second is calculated.
If someone is in a ravine and makes a sound, it is very likely that a few seconds later the same sound will be heard again. This phenomenon is known as echo. When sound meets an obstacle it can be reflected like any other mechanical wave.
The effects of sound in some closed places overlap and we perceive that the sound seems to last longer. This phenomenon is acoustic reverberation.
In a loudspeaker the power of a music to an audible sound. The amount of sound that reaches our ears is measured in decibels and the phenomenon that is quantified is sound pressure, also called acoustic pressure.
The journey of sound, Pythagoreanism, and the practical dimension of acoustics
When we hear music or a simple noise, this means that there is a sound that is traveling through the air and that reaches our ears. Between a musical instrument that makes sounds and the ear there is air in movement. These two observations were first analyzed by Pythagoras and his disciples in the 5th century BC. C.
For the Pythagoreans, musical effects and mathematics are closely linked. In this stream of the philosophy the intervals of the sounds are expressible in mathematical language.
To the margin of its journey, the phenomenon of sound in general is related to all kinds of circumstances: the contamination acoustics, the soothing sounds used in healing techniques, the design of music venues, etc. The processes of emission and reception of sounds in different physical media are studied within the framework of the engineering acoustics.
Topics in Acoustics