Sound Waves & Waves for Detection [Physics only, Higher Tier]

Sound and vibrations in solids

• Sound waves can travel through solids, causing vibrations in the solid
• In the ear, sound waves cause the ear drum and other parts to vibrate, which causes the sensation of sound
• The conversion of sound waves to vibrations of solids only works over a limited frequency range. This is what restricts the limits of human hearing: the range of normal human hearing is 20 Hz to 20 kHz
• Other examples of sound converting to and from vibrations in solids: a microphone diaphragm vibrating in a sound wave, a loudspeaker cone vibrating to produce sound, a tuning fork or guitar string making the air vibrate