Term | Definition |
Amplitude | The height of the wave from the starting point to the crest (or trough) |
Wave height | The total height from the crest to the trough |
Frequency | The number of waves per second |
Hertz | The unit for frequency (Hz) |
Intensity | Loudness or volume of a sound |
Pitch | How high or low a note sounds |
Vibrate | Move backwards and forwards. Creates waves. |
Vocal folds | Flaps of skin in the throat that vibrate to make sound |
Medium | Any substance through which something travels |
Particles | The tiny pieces that everything is made out of |
Pressure wave | Waves like sound waves where the vibration of particles transfers energy |
Sound wave | Vibrating particles that transfer energy and are detected by our ears |
Vacuum | A space with no particles |
Density | A measure of a substance’s mass per unit volume |
Oscilloscope | An instrument that shows a compression sound wave as a visual transverse wave |
Compression wave | Wave that vibrates back and forth along the direction of energy transfer |
Transverse wave | Wave that vibrates up and down along the direction of energy transfer |
Trace | Line that the oscilloscope makes |
Absorb | Take in |
Amplify | Make bigger |
Auditory nerve | He nerve that carries impulse from an ear to the brain |
Auditory range | The range of frequencies that an animal can hear |
Cochlea | The part of the ear that changes vibrations into electrical impulses |
Decibel | Unit for measuring loudness of sound (dB) |
Diaphragm (physics) | A thin sheet of flexible material |
Ear canal | The tube that leads to the ear drum |
Ear protection | Ear plugs or covers for the ears that stop loud sounds damaging the ears |
Eardrum | A thin membrane inside the ear that vibrates when sound reaches it |
Impulse | An electrical signal that travels in the nervous system |
Infrasound | Sound waves less than 20Hz |
Ultrasound | Sound waves above 20 000Hz |
Microphone | An instrument that converts sound waves into electrical current or voltage |
Sound intensity meter | An instrument that measures the loudness of sound |
Communication | Transferring information |
Echo | A reflected sound |
Echolocation | Finding objects by emitting sounds and listening for echos |
Physiotherapist | Someone who treats injuries or other physical problems with physical treatments |
Reflect | To bounce off a surface rather than pass through or be absorbed |
Sonar | A machine used in the sea that sends sound waves and listens for echos |
Transmit | To pass through a substance |
Longitudinal wave | See compression wave |
Crest | The top of a wave |
Trough | The bottom of a wave |
Superposition | When two waves meet and their effects add up or cancel out |