Science Made Easy
Sound
Introduction
• Sound energy is a form of energy because of which our ears are able to hear something.
• One cannot create sound or destroy it. But one can transform one form of energy into sound energy. For instance, when a cell phone rings, the sound is produced by converting electrical energy into sound energy.
• A wave that is produced when objects of the medium oscillate is called Mechanical Wave. The sound waves are therefore, mechanical waves.
Types of Waves
• Sound cannot travel through the vacuum as it always needs a medium to propagate. The vacuum contains no air hence no particles can propagate sound.
Longitudinal waves - Any wave that vibrates in the direction of the motion is called a Longitudinal Wave. Sound waves are longitudinal because the particles of the medium vibrate in the direction which is parallel to the direction of the propagation of the sound waves. The particles in the medium oscillate to and fro in the case of longitudinal waves.
Transverse Waves - A transverse wave is produced when the particles of the medium oscillate in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction of the propagation of the wave. The particles in a transverse wave oscillate in an up and down motion. For Example, light waves are transverse in nature.
