State two factors on which the speed of a wave travelling in a medium depends.
State two factors on which the speed of a wave travelling in a medium depends.
Sound is the waveform which is propagated with the collisions of the particles in the medium through which it travels.
Sound waves depends upon the following factors:
1. Density Of The Medium:
As we know that sound waves need a particular medium to propagate, therefore it depends upon the nature of the medium through which it travels. If the medium is dense, it means that the molecules are closely packed with each other. Hence a large amount of force is required to vibrate the molecules to produce sound wave.Thus the speed of sound decreases with an increase in the density of the medium and vice versa.
2. Temperature Of The Medium:
Sound waves are directly proportional to the temperature of the medium through with it travels.
Now, molecules at higher temperatures have more energy, thus they can vibrate faster. Since the molecules vibrate faster,sound waves can travel more quickly.This is what is observed in deserts, where due to higiher temperatures, sound travels fast.
The speed of sound in air at freezing temperatures slows down as the kinetic energy possessed by the molecules in the air is much lower.
Sound is the waveform which is propagated with the collisions of the particles in the medium through which it travels.
Sound waves depends upon the following factors:
1. Density Of The Medium:
As we know that sound waves need a particular medium to propagate, therefore it depends upon the nature of the medium through which it travels. If the medium is dense, it means that the molecules are closely packed with each other. Hence a large amount of force is required to vibrate the molecules to produce sound wave.Thus the speed of sound decreases with an increase in the density of the medium and vice versa.
2. Temperature Of The Medium:
Sound waves are directly proportional to the temperature of the medium through with it travels.
Now, molecules at higher temperatures have more energy, thus they can vibrate faster. Since the molecules vibrate faster,sound waves can travel more quickly.This is what is observed in deserts, where due to higiher temperatures, sound travels fast.
The speed of sound in air at freezing temperatures slows down as the kinetic energy possessed by the molecules in the air is much lower.
