The Science of Sound
Waves lapping along the shore, a fly buzzing through the air, children laughing at the playground. We are surrounded by various sounds every day. Some of them, like our phone notifications or car horns, alert us of the world around us. Others, like music, help us connect with friends and enjoy our favorite song artists. When you listen to a song on the radio, or see your favorite band live in concert, the sounds you are hearing are in the form of waves. Not ocean waves, but sound waves.
Sound waves are made up of vibrating particles that collide with other particles, causing them to vibrate and collide with additional particles, and so on. The vibrations in the air cause our eardrums to vibrate, and these vibrations are transformed into nerve impulses that are delivered to our brains, allowing us to hear sounds. Microphones, likewise, sense air vibrations and convert them to electrical impulses. The particles that vibrate as part of a sound wave move back and forth along the sound wave’s axis. The movement causes places where particles are more tightly packed (high-pressure areas) and areas where particles are more evenly distributed (low-pressure areas). A longitudinal wave is the name for this particular kind of wave.
The amplitude and frequency are two crucial characteristics that influence how a sound, well, sounds to us. The volume of a sound is determined by its amplitude; sound waves with a larger amplitude are louder. The sound wave generated by a concert playing music to the audience, for example, has a larger amplitude than the sound wave produced by a person whispering to their friend. The pitch of a sound is determined by its frequency: a sound with a greater frequency has a higher pitch. A graph of a baby crying, for example, will appear much more bunched up than a graph of the booming sound of a growling lion.
Sound waves are all around us, but we recognize them most in music. If you want to learn more about the science behind music, check out the Science Center’s new exhibit: “GUITAR: the Instrument that Rocked the World.” You can learn even more about sound and how we make music, and you can get insight on the history of guitars.
Source:
“The Science of Sound.” NASA
“Sound Waves.” PASCO Scientific,
https://www.pasco.com/products/guides/sound-waves. 
Scientific Peer Review by Alysia Mandato
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