Sound waves

• Sounds waves are longitudinal waves
• Sound travels fastest in solids
• How do we hear?

  1. Sound waves reach your eardrum causing it to vibrate
  2. These vibrations are passed to tiny bones in your ear called ossicles, through the canal and to the cochlea.
  3. The cochlea turns these vibrations into electrical signals which get sent to your brain
• Young people can hear from frequencies from around 20Hz (low pitch) to 20,000Hz (very high pitch)
• Ultrasound is used in medicine and industry.