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Sound
> What is Sound?
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Imagine the blue line at the right
is your eardrum. It vibrates back
and forth as sound waves bang into
it. Your brain interprets these physical
vibrations as sound.
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Eventually
this chain reaction we call sound reaches your eardrums.
The air molecules bang into your eardrums at varying
rates--which your brain interprets as varying sounds.
If
the waves are hitting in rapid succession, your brain
interprets this as a high pitched sound (wind chimes,
for example). If the waves hit your eardrum less rapidly,
your brain interprets this as a low-pitched sound (a
foghorn is a good example).
The
number of waves-per-second hitting your eardrum is called
the "frequency." That's a term you should know.
Sound frequency is measured in units called "hertz."
If 100 waves hit your eardrum in one second, that's
a 100 hertz sound. (Hertz is abbreviated hz).
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