Propagation of Sound

SOUND NEEDS A MEDIUM TO TRAVEL

• In order to propagate, sound requires a medium through which it can travel. This medium could be a gas, liquid or solid.

• Sound propagates in a medium as the particles of the medium vibrate from a starting point. This means that sound always has a starting point and an ending point.

• For instance, while you talk to a friend, as you speak, the particles in the air get displaced due to the pressure caused by the sound you produce. They then displace the adjacent particles and so on. In this way, sound travels from your place to your friend’s ears.

• Therefore, we can say that the particles of a medium do not travel from one point one another in order to propagate sound. Sound propagates because of the disturbance caused by a source of sound in the medium.

Propagation Of Sound:

• The travelling of sound is called propagation of sound.
• Sound is propagated by the to and fro motion of particles of the medium.
• When an object vibrates, the particles around the medium vibrate. The particle in contact with the vibrating object is first displaced from its equilibrium position. Each particle disturbs the other particle in contact. Thus, the disturbance is carried from the source to the listener.