
Sound | Properties, Types, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 6, 2025 · The study of sound should begin with the properties of sound waves. There are two basic types of wave, transverse and longitudinal, differentiated by the way in which the wave is propagated.
Acoustics | Definition, Physics, & Facts | Britannica
Acoustics, the science concerned with the production, control, transmission, reception, and effects of sound. Beginning with its origins in the study of mechanical vibrations and the radiation of these …
Properties of sound | Britannica
sound, Mechanical disturbance that propagates as a longitudinal wave through a solid, liquid, or gas. A sound wave is generated by a vibrating object. The vibrations cause alternating compressions …
Sound - Frequency, Wavelength, Absorption | Britannica
Nov 6, 2025 · Sound - Frequency, Wavelength, Absorption: In addition to the geometric decrease in intensity caused by the inverse square law, a small part of a sound wave is lost to the air or other …
Sound - Frequency, Wavelength, Impedance | Britannica
Nov 6, 2025 · Sound - Frequency, Wavelength, Impedance: One of the important physical characteristics relating to the propagation of sound is the acoustic impedance of the medium in which …
Timbre | Frequency, Harmonics & Waveforms | Britannica
Oct 7, 2025 · The study of sound should begin with the properties of sound waves. There are two basic types of wave, transverse and longitudinal, differentiated by the way in which the wave is propagated.
Sound - Circular, Spherical, Waves | Britannica
Sep 13, 2025 · The above discussion of the propagation of sound waves begins with a simplifying assumption that the wave exists as a plane wave. In most real cases, however, a wave originating at …
Sound - Standing Waves, Frequency, Wavelength | Britannica
Nov 6, 2025 · Sound - Standing Waves, Frequency, Wavelength: This section focuses on waves in bounded mediums—in particular, standing waves in such systems as stretched strings, air columns, …
Speed of sound | Description & Examples | Britannica
Dec 3, 2025 · The study of sound should begin with the properties of sound waves. There are two basic types of wave, transverse and longitudinal, differentiated by the way in which the wave is propagated.
How Does Sound Travel? | Waves, Speed, Frequency, & Amplitude
Nov 5, 2025 · Sound waves have properties such as frequency and wavelength that affect how we perceive them. Frequency, measured in hertz, determines the pitch of the sound: higher frequencies …