What are Sound Waves & Why Can't We Hear Some?

  • Thread starter amitmis
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Some sounds may have frequencies that fall outside of the range of human hearing, which is typically 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This means that our ears are unable to detect these sounds, hence why we can't hear them. In summary, sound waves are vibrations that our ears can detect and interpret as sound, but some sounds fall outside of our hearing range.
  • #1
amitmis
2
0
hi,

first - i want to tell you I'm pretty good at english, but it's not my mother tongue, and i still use babylon dictionary sometimes, to read answers, and questions. so - i'll have to ask you to lower the english level (not so rich language...). thank's.

second - my question - what are sound waves made of?
and why are there sounds that we can't hear?

thank's
amit
 
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  • #2
Sound waves are vibrations of air particles (or any other medium, technically). Your ear can detect these vibrations and your barin then interprets that as data, which we call sound. The reason there are sounds that's we can't hears is because you ear can only detect frequcies of a certain range. Anything outside that rage, and it won't be detected.
 
  • #3
Sorry, just want to add the term :redface:; (since no has done so yet)

*Sound waves are longitudinal waves :smile:

composed of subsequent compressions and rarefactions of particles in a medium
 
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FAQ: What are Sound Waves & Why Can't We Hear Some?

What are sound waves?

Sound waves are a type of mechanical wave that travels through a medium, such as air or water. They are caused by vibrations and consist of compressions and rarefactions, which are areas of increased and decreased pressure respectively.

Why can't we hear some sound waves?

There are two main reasons why we can't hear some sound waves: frequency and amplitude. Sound waves with frequencies above or below the audible range of human hearing (20 Hz to 20,000 Hz) cannot be heard. Additionally, sound waves with low amplitudes, or low volumes, may not be loud enough to be heard by our ears.

How do sound waves travel?

Sound waves travel through a medium by causing particles in the medium to vibrate. These vibrations transfer energy from one particle to the next, creating a wave-like pattern. The speed at which sound waves travel depends on the properties of the medium, such as density and temperature.

What affects the loudness of sound waves?

The loudness of sound waves is affected by their amplitude, or height. The higher the amplitude, the louder the sound. Additionally, the distance between the sound source and the listener can also affect the loudness of sound waves, as they become quieter the farther they travel.

Can sound waves travel through a vacuum?

No, sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum because there is no medium for them to vibrate and propagate through. This is why sound cannot be heard in space, where there is a vacuum.

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