Properties of Sound: Volume
Sound can have different pitches and volumes. Volume is the loudness or softness of a sound. For example, the sound of a person yelling is a louder volume than the sound of a person whispering, even if the pitch remains the same. There are several physical properties of the vibrating material that affect the resulting volume of the sound. Changing these properties will change the volume the object produces when vibrating. These properties include:
1. Force: Exerting a larger force on a vibrating object will produce louder volume. Exerting a smaller force on a vibrating object will produce softer volume.The strength of the force alters the strength of the vibrations. For example, tapping a desk lightly produces soft sound while hitting a desk hard produces a loud sound.
2. Distance: If the sources of the sound are farther away, the volume of the sound is softer.The closer the source of the sound, the louder the volume of the sound will be. For example, a band sounds louder at a concert if you are in front of the stage and softer if you are farther away from the stage. |
Vibrations are back and forth movements that occur very quickly. They can be transferred from one material to another cause that material to move back and forth. Vibrations cause sounds that can travel through solids, liquids and gases. Sound CANNOT travel through empty space because there are no particles of matter to move back and forth. Sound moves better through some materials than others. Sound travels fastest through solids, slower through liquids, and the slowest through gases. For example, the sound of water filling a bathtub sounds louder under water (moving through the liquid) than above the water (moving through air.)
Amplitude measures the extent of vibrations. A softer sound will have lower amplitude and a shorter wavelength. A louder sound will have higher amplitude and a taller wavelength. |
Sources:
Text: ed.sc.gov
Image 1: https://mrlilholt.wordpress.com/3rd-grade-text/5-sound/4-4-frequency-and-pitch/
Image 2: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Figure_36_04_01.jpg
Text: ed.sc.gov
Image 1: https://mrlilholt.wordpress.com/3rd-grade-text/5-sound/4-4-frequency-and-pitch/
Image 2: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Figure_36_04_01.jpg