What is sound?
Answer
Sound is a longitudinal mechanical wave produced by vibrating bodies that travels through a material medium as compressions and rarefactions.
The working
Origin
Sound is created when an object vibrates, for example a tuning fork or vocal cords. These vibrations disturb the surrounding particles.
How it travels
The disturbance moves as alternate compressions and rarefactions, making sound a longitudinal wave in which particles vibrate along the direction of propagation.
Needs a medium
Sound requires a material medium such as solid, liquid, or gas and cannot travel through vacuum.
Perception
The human ear detects sound in the audible range of about 20 Hz to 20000 Hz. Its speed in air is roughly 340 m/s.
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