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Chapter 6: Problem 11

A low-frequency sound is heard, and then a high-frequency sound is heard. Which sound has a longer wavelength?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: A low-frequency sound has a longer wavelength compared to a high-frequency sound.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the relationship between frequency, wavelength, and speed of sound

The relationship between frequency (f), wavelength (λ), and the speed of sound (v) in a medium is given by the formula v = fλ. This means that the product of frequency and wavelength is a constant, which is the speed of sound in that specific medium.
02

Analyze the relationship between frequency and wavelength in a medium

From the formula v = fλ, we know that as the frequency increases, the wavelength must decrease to maintain the constant value for the speed of sound. Conversely, as the frequency decreases, the wavelength must increase.
03

Determine which sound has a longer wavelength based on their frequencies

Since low-frequency sounds have lower frequencies, they must have longer wavelengths to maintain the constant value for the speed of sound in that medium. On the other hand, high-frequency sounds have higher frequencies, which means they must have shorter wavelengths. Therefore, the low-frequency sound has a longer wavelength compared to the high-frequency sound.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

When trying to hear a faint sound from something far away, we sometimes cup a hand behind an ear. Explain why this can help.

What are the three categories used to describe our mental perception of a sound? Upon what physical properties of sound waves does each depend?

Describe how sound is produced in string instruments. Why does tightening a string change the frequency of the sound it makes?

Describe the waveforms of pure tones, complex tones, and noise.

A recording of a high-frequency pure tone is played through both speakers of a portable stereo placed in an open field. A person a few meters in front of the stereo walks slowly along an arc around it. How does the sound that is heard change as the person moves?
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