Producing+Sound+Waves

**Producing Sound Waves**
=Sound is Vibration = A __wave__ can be described as a disturbance that travels through a medium, transporting energy from one location to another. The medium is simply the material through which the disturbance is moving; it can be thought of as a series of interacting particles.

The example of a slinky wave is often used to illustrate the nature of a wave. A disturbance is typically created within the slinky by the back and forth movement of the first coil of the slinky. The first coil becomes disturbed and begins to push or pull on the second coil. This push or pull on the second coil will displace the second coil from its equilibrium position. As the second coil becomes displaced, it begins to push or pull on the third coil; the push or pull on the third coil displaces it from its equilibrium position. As the third coil becomes displaced, it begins to push or pull on the fourth coil. This process continues in consecutive fashion, with each individual particle acting to displace the adjacent particle. Subsequently the disturbance travels through the slinky. As the disturbance moves from coil to coil, the energy which was originally introduced into the first coil is transported along the medium from one location to another.

You can see in these([|1] and [|2]) examples the production and movement of sound waves, and the energy moves through the mediums. You can see as the energy moves through and displaces the coils in [|the first one], and through the air in [|the second].

Here's another example of sound being produced... media type="file" key="Sound Example.mov"

The [|second moving picture] above also helps demonstrate one of the most basics of sound. Sound is simply vibrations. Vibrations create sound, and sound waves are simply the initial vibration continuing through the particles in the medium. The video below demonstrates this, as you can see the tuning fork being placed in the water while it is vibrating. media type="file" key="Vibration.mov"