Introduction

The information associated with the language of music, speech, and other sounds is transmitted from the source to the receiver solely by the propagation of acoustic vibrations in a fluid medium such as the air. Sound information which is transmitted by an acoustic wave is indistinguishable from the oscillating properties of the wave, and is determined by the various characteristics of the source. The detection and processing of sound information depends on the quality and position in the medium of the receiver. Sound waves propagate in a variety of media, unaffected by the limits of human hearing, and range from tiny microacoustic waves in a plasma, to large-scale galactic waves in the interstellar medium. The presence of various sound waves in the surrounding media produces a continuum of interactive sound events which occur throughout the universe at various orders of magnitude and scale.

John Holland, 1985

CONTENTS
SOUND WAVES AND THEIR PROPERTIES
General Definitions
General Properties	1
The Substance of Sound	3
Acoustic Vibrations	6
Acoustic Wave Motion	7
Vibrational Properties
Particle Vibration	9
Particle Displacement	10
Wave Vibration	12
Simple Waves, Complex Waves	13
Partial Tones	14
Musical Tones, Noise	16
Sound Frequency	17
Sound Amplitude	19
Sound Quality	20
Propagational Characteristics
Wave Motion	21
The Propagation of Sound Waves	22
The Velocity of Propagation	23
The Speed of Sound	24
The Direction of Sound	26
Longitudinal and Transverse Waves	27
Spherical Waves	29
Plane Waves	30
Sound Pressure	31
Sound Density	33
Sound Energy	35
Sound Intensity	37
Sound Duration	38
The Obstruction of Sound
The Obstruction of Sound	39
Sound Absorption	41
Acoustic Impedance	43
Incident Waves, Cross Waves	44
Sound Reflection	45
Sound Scattering	47
Sound diffraction	48
Shear Waves	50
Sound Refraction	51
Sound Interference
Wave Systems	53
Phase	54
Sound Interference	56
Stationary Waves	58
Sound Fluctuation	59
Combination Tones	60
SOUND WAVES IN THE SURROUNDING MEDIA
The Source of Sound Waves
Acoustic Sound Sources	62
Traveling Waves	64
Standing Waves	65
Sound Dispersion	67
Surface Waves	68
Wave Modes Acting on a Solid Surface	69
Circular and Cylindrical Waves	72
Sympathetic Resonance	74
Wind and Whistle Tones	75
Shock Waves	77
Sounds Produced by the Translation of an Object Through a Medium	79
Radial Waves	80
Sound Waves Produced by the Rotation of a Solid Body	81
Acoustic Envelope	83
Acoustic Modulation	85
The Doppler Effect	86
Electrical Sound Sources	88
Sound Waves In Various Media
Sound Waves in Various Media	90
Ultra and Infrasound Waves	91
Microacoustic and Macroacoustic Waves	92
Thermal Waves	94
Sound Waves in Gas
Sound Waves in Gas	95
Sound Waves in the Atmosphere	96
Opticoacoustical Waves	98
Sound Waves Produced by Lightning	99
Whistlers	101
Sound Waves in Liquids
Sound Waves in Liquids	102
Sound Waves in the Hydrosphere	103
Acoustic Cavitation	106
Sound Waves in Organic and Inorganic Matter
Sound Waves in Solid Matter	107
Stress Waves in Crystalline Solids	109
Seismic Waves	111
Sound Waves in Organic Matter	114
Sound Waves in the Biosphere	116
Electrochemical Waves	118
Sound Waves in Plasmas and Superconductors
Sound Waves in a Plasma	120
Electroacoustic Waves	123
Electron Waves	124
Ion Waves	126
Electroacoustic Waves in a Semiconductor	128
Sound Waves in a Superconductor	129
Magnetoacoustic Waves	131
The Effect of Gravity and Magnetism on Sound Waves	133
Solar Waves	134
Sound Waves in the Interplanetary Medium
Sound Waves in the Interplanetary Medium	136
The Solar Wind	137
Sound Waves in the Interstellar Medium
Sound Waves in the Interstellar Medium	139
Galactic Waves	141
Sound Waves in the Intergalactic Medium
Sound Waves in the Intergalactic Medium	142

SOUND WAVES is available for order through
Spectrum Music (781-862-0088).