PSYB65H3 Chapter 10: PSYB65 Chapter 10
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Ou(cid:374)ds a(cid:396)e (cid:271)(cid:396)ai(cid:374)"s (cid:272)o(cid:374)st(cid:396)u(cid:272)tio(cid:374), (cid:449)ithout (cid:271)(cid:396)ai(cid:374) sou(cid:374)d a(cid:374)d sight do (cid:374)ot e(cid:454)ist. The undulating energy generated by this displacement of molecules causes compression waves of changing air pressure. These sound waves move through compressible media- air, water, ground- but not through vacuum. A cycle is one complete peak and valley on the graph the change from one maximum or minimum air pressure level of the sound wave to the next maximum or minimum level, respectively. Sound wave energy has three physical attributes frequency, amplitude, and complexity produced by the displacement of air molecules. The auditory system analyzes each property separately, just as the visual system analyzes color and form separately. Sound waves in air travel at a fixed speed of 1100 feet (343 meters) per second and more than four times faster in water, but sound energy varies in wavelength. Frequency is the number of cycles a wave completes in a given amount of time.
