Tag Archives: Hertz

OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES: The Period of a Pendulum

Q: A pendulum has a length of 2.45 m. How many seconds will it take the pendulum to swing through one complete cycle? Does the mass of the pendulum influence the period? Why or why not? A: This question regards the period ( T ) of a pendulum. The period ( T ) is definedContinue reading “OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES: The Period of a Pendulum”

SOUND: What is the Sound-Intensity and Perceived Increase in Loudness at 1/4th the Distance?

Mr. Titus Tulay recently purchased a home four blocks from a busy tollway. On a typical evening, the decibel level resulting from tollway traffic is 62 dB at the location of his house. Determine the decibel level of a house 1 block from the tollway (four times closer). Essentially, a decibel reading tells us howContinue reading “SOUND: What is the Sound-Intensity and Perceived Increase in Loudness at 1/4th the Distance?”

SOUND: Calculating the Speed of an Approaching Target

In a previous entry, the velocity of a sound-emitting source ( vs ) and a moving receptor of sound ( vr ) were related to the frequency of the sound emitted by the source ( fs ) and the frequency at which the receptor interpreted the emitted sound ( fr ) as follows: ( frContinue reading “SOUND: Calculating the Speed of an Approaching Target”

SOUND: Beat Phenomena in Acoustics

Two major considerations will help us develop a clear understanding of an acoustic phenomena called ” sound beats “. First, consider that a longitudinal sound wave is a pressure wave moving through a ” springy ” medium. The Bulk Modulus and temperature of the medium influence the velocity of sound waves. Of interest here, however,Continue reading “SOUND: Beat Phenomena in Acoustics”

SOUND: Open and Closed-Pipe Systems, and the Concept of Resonance Frequency

Before examining the physics of standing waves within pipes that are closed at one end, a review of systems within which both ends are open is due. Periodic motion is used to model the behavior of systems that are harmonic or cyclical in nature. Within the midst of turbulent high-tide waves crashing against a shoreline,Continue reading “SOUND: Open and Closed-Pipe Systems, and the Concept of Resonance Frequency”