Sound

Acoustics

The study of sound. Acoustics. Acoustics is the science of how sound is produced, transmitted, and received.

Cochlea

A fluid-filled spiral structure in the ear that converts sound vibration into nerve impulses. Cochlea. The cochlea is the part of your inner ear that helps you hear by turning sound waves into signals your brain can understand.

Decibel

A unit of sound loudness. Decibel. A decibel is a unit that measures the intensity of sound.

Doppler effect

The change in pitch of a sound when the source is moving relative to the listener. Doppler effect. It is a phenomenon where the frequency of a sound or light wave changes because the source or observer is moving.

Eardrum

A membrane in the outer ear that transmits sound vibrations to the middle ear. Eardrum. The eardrum is a thin layer that vibrates when sound waves hit it, helping us hear.

Echo

A reflected sound wave. Echo. An echo is when a sound bounces off a surface and returns to your ears.

Echolocation

The use of reflected sound waves to locate objects. Echolocation. It is a process where animals find objects by making sounds and listening to the echoes that bounce back.

Intensity

The amount of energy a wave carries through a unit area in one second. Intensity. Intensity is the measure of how much energy passes through a given area in a specific time period.

Loudness

How loud or soft a sound is perceived to be. Loudness. Loudness is how we sense the strength or intensity of a sound wave.

Music

Sounds combined in a pleasing way. Music. Music is the art of arranging sounds in time to produce a sequence that is harmonious and emotionally expressive.

Overtone

Any frequency higher than the fundamental frequency of sound. Overtone. An overtone is a sound wave with a frequency higher than the fundamental frequency, contributing to the tone's overall richness.

Pitch

How high or low a sound is, as determined by its frequency. Pitch. Pitch is how we describe the highness or lowness of a sound based on its frequency.

Reverberation

The echoes of sound waves. Reverberation. Reverberation is when sound reflects off surfaces and creates a series of overlapping echoes.

Sonar

The use of the reflection of sound waves to locate underwater objects is called sonar. Sonar is a technology that uses sound waves to detect and locate objects underwater.

Sound quality

The difference between sounds having the same pitch and loudness. Sound quality. Sound quality is what makes two sounds different even if they have the same pitch and loudness, like a piano and a violin playing the same note.

Ultrasonic

Sound waves with frequencies above 20,000 Hz are ultrasonic. Ultrasonic refers to sound that is too high-pitched for humans to hear.