Sound Energy: Definition, Examples and Facts

record-player-vinyl-sound

Sound energy is the form of energy generated when an object vibrates. Once produced through vibrations, sound energy is transferred in waves through mediums such as air and water before it reaches your ears.

There must be a medium through which sound travels, such as water, air, glass, or metal because it cannot travel through a vacuum.

Sound energy is normally measured by its intensity and pressure, in special units known as Pascals and decibels. In light of the fact that sound is a mechanical wave, it exists physically in oscillatory elastic compression as well as in oscillatory displacement of fluid. Sound waves are also known as pressure waves as they move particles through which they are passing.

That said, let’s look at some examples of sound energy.

Examples of Sound Energy

Sound basically refers to anything that your hearing system receive, perceive, and translate as the sound you hear. Examples of sound include the following:

1. Examples of Sound Energy From Humans

  • Grinding your teeth
  • Clicking your tongue
  • Clapping your hands
  • Baby crying
  • Gulping water
  • Cracking knuckles
  • Clearing your throat
  • Screaming
  • Hiccupping
  • Blowing your nose
  • Coughing
  • Smacking your lips
  • Singing
  • Your stomach growling
  • Snapping your fingers
  • Stomping your feet

2. Examples of Sound Energy From Animals

  • Bats screeching
  • Bison stampeding
  • Bird tweeting
  • Cricket chirping
  • Cat purring
  • Baby chickens peeping
  • Dog panting
  • Goose honking
  • Doves cooing
  • Dolphins clicking
  • Monkeys chattering
  • Turkeys gobbling
  • Rattlesnake rattling
  • Snake hissing
  • Sheep bleating
  • Woodpecker pecking
  • Pig grunting
  • Horse hooves on pavement
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3. Examples of Sound Energy From Weather Elements

  • Tornadoes roaring
  • Wind rustling the tree leaves
  • Raindrops falling on leaves
  • Sleet hitting the window
  • Hailstones pounding on the roof
  • Lightning crackling
  • Wind howling
  • Flood water gushing down the valley
  • Thunder

4. Examples of Sound Energy From Musical Instruments

  • Electric guitar whining
  • A kazoo humming
  • A metal striker hitting a metal triangle
  • A hammer striking a steel string in a piano
  • Cymbals crashing
  • Castanets clicking
  • A harp player plucking the strings with her fingers
  • A drumstick striking a drum head
  • A violin bow moving along a violin string
  • A xylophone tinkling
  • A calliope singing
  • A mountain man blowing an alphorn
  • A tuba blaring
  • A player blowing across an opening on a flute

5. Other Everyday Examples of Sound Energy

  • The bell dinging on a microwave
  • An airplane taking off
  • An air conditioning fan
  • Car brakes squealing
  • A car door closing
  • A copier machine
  • Doorbell chiming
  • Champagne glasses clicking in a toast
  • A dripping faucet
  • A broom swishing
  • A car horn
  • Meat sizzling on the grill
  • Firecrackers popping
  • A ballerina dancing in toe shoes
  • Fireworks exploding
  • A train moving on the tracks
  • A radio
  • A hair dryer
  • A flag flapping in a strong breeze
  • Smoothing wood with sandpaper
  • Walking in autumn leaves
  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Someone shuffling cards
  • The siren on a fire engine
  • Waves crashing into a rocky shore
  • A whistle

Interesting Facts About Sound Energy

Now that you know what sound energy is, let’s look at some other facts about it so you can better understand the different ways that sound energy is generated as well as how it works.

Fact 1: There are many different types of energy. Of all these types, sound energy produces the lowest amount of energy.

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Fact 2: Since sound energy produces just a limited amount of energy, it cannot be used to generate electricity.

Fact 3: Sound waves lose energy as they move through a medium. That’s why you can only hear things up to a given distance. It is also why sound travels less on stormy days than on calm one. Wind dissipates the energy of the sound waves on stormy days.

Fact 4: There is no sound in space in light of the fact that no molecules exist there. In other words, sound cannot be transferred through space because there are no molecules through which sound waves can travel. On Earth, air molecules vibrate to our ears, making us hear sound.

Fact 5: Sound travels faster by water than it does through air. In fact, the speed of sound through water about 4 times higher than by air. Nonetheless, the speed of sound is much higher through steel than both water and air.

Fact 6: The vibrations that enter through our ears also end up in the ears vibrating. In this way, our ears can hear distinct sounds.

Fact 7: Lightning is surrounded by rapidly heated air. The sound of thunder comes from this heated In the end, the lightning expands at a faster rate than sound itself.

Fact 8: Sound travels at a speed of about 767 miles per hour.

Fact 9: The scientific study of sound waves is known as acoustics

Fact 10: Whales have the ability to communicate with each other through sound waves under the water. The sound waves they generate while communicating can travel up to 800 km through the waters of the ocean.

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Fact 11: With the help of sounds, most animals can detect dangers and hazards before they affect them.

Fact 12: In light of the fact that dogs’ ears are more sensitive than those of humans, dogs can perceive sounds that the humans cannot hear.

Fact 13: You can reflect sound waves off objects the same way water waves bounce off a seawall or light reflects off a mirror. Reflected sound is commonly referred to as an echo.

Fact 14: Sound energy can be used in medicine as well as for therapeutic purposes. For example, sound vibrations are utilized in ultrasounds. When used that way, sound vibrations indicate the existence of tumors and other substances in the human body as they bounce off them and emit echoes that can chart what is there.

Fact 15: Humans cannot perceive ultrasound. Nonetheless, some animals use ultrasound technique to navigate in the dark. A good example of such animals is the Bat. Bats produce ultrasound wave signals. When these signals bounce off objects, they return echoes, which helps them to know whether or not an obstacle is in the way.

Fact 16: Most cows that listen to music normally produce more milk than those that don’t.

Fact 17: Dolphins can hear sounds underwater from up to 15 miles away.

References:
https://www.explainthatstuff.com/sound.html
http://www.softschools.com/examples/science/sound_energy_examples/50/
Photo by: pexels

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