Module 14 lesson 1 vocabulary terms

Front

Sound wave

Back

A pressure variation transmitted through matter as a longitudinal wave; it reflects and interferes and has frequency, wavelength, speed, and amplitude.

Front

Pitch

Back

The highness or lowness of a sound, which depends on the frequency of vibration; can be given a name on the musical scale.

Front

Loudness

Back

Sound intensity as sensed by the ear and interpreted by the brain; depends mainly on the pressure wave’s amplitude.

Front

Sound level

Back

A logarithmic scale that measures sound intensities; depends on the ratio of the intensity of a particular sound wave to the intensity of the most faintly heard sound; unit of measurement is the decibel (dB).

Front

Decibel

Back

The most common unit of measurement for sound level; also can describe the power and intensity of sound waves. Abbreviated dB.

Front

Doppler Effect

Back

The change in the frequency of sound or light caused by the movement of either the source, the detector, or both the detector and the source.

Front

Longitudinal wave

Back

A mechanical wave in which the disturbance is in the same direction, or parallel to, the direction of wave travel.

Front

Compression

Back

A region where the air molecules are pushed close together, creating a high pressure area.

Front

Rarefaction

Back

A part of a sound wave where air molecules are spread out and pressure is low.

Front

intensity

Back

the amount of energy a sound wave transmits per unit of time and area.