How Do Sound Waves Travel Through Different Mediums?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter franz32
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Solids Sound Velocity
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around how sound waves travel through different mediums, specifically focusing on toy telephones and stethoscopes as examples. Participants explore the mechanisms of sound transmission in solids, liquids, and gases, while addressing the role of various components in these devices.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes how sound is transmitted through a toy telephone, suggesting that the string acts as the medium.
  • Another participant clarifies that in a stethoscope, sound travels through air in the hollow tubing, connecting the membrane to the doctor's ears.
  • There is a discussion about the importance of the cups in the toy telephone, with one participant emphasizing that they collect vibrations to effectively transmit sound through the string.
  • Some participants acknowledge the complexity of specifying the information being sought in the discussion, indicating a need for clarity in questions posed.
  • Links to external resources are shared, providing additional breakdowns of sound concepts, though their content is not evaluated within the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the role of the medium in sound transmission, but there are nuances in understanding the importance of different components, such as the cups in the toy telephone. The discussion remains somewhat unresolved regarding the depth of explanation needed for the initial question.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the nature of sound transmission and the definitions of mediums are not fully explored, leaving room for further clarification and discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in the fundamentals of sound transmission, particularly in educational contexts or for those curious about practical applications like toy telephones and medical devices.

franz32
Messages
133
Reaction score
0
Most children, play with toy telephones by connecting two plastic cups with a long string. When the string is pulled tightly, sound is transmitted from one cup to the other. How does that thing work? (I 'm used to play with it but I ignored that fact).

Another one... doctors use stethoscope to a patient to know his physical health... how does that thing work? I think most waves need a medium to travel... so thru what medium is the sound transmitted? =)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The medium in this case is the solid itself (the string in the telephone case).
 
franz32 said:
Another one... doctors use stethoscope to a patient to know his physical health... how does that thing work? I think most waves need a medium to travel... so thru what medium is the sound transmitted? =)
The medium in a stethescope is plain old air. All the tubing is hollow including the metal tubes at the top that go into the ears. These have plastic knobs on the end with a hole in them. There is a clear channel for the air from the drumlike membrane that the Doctor puts agains your body all the way up to his ears.
 
Thanks for the help for the doctor... =)

Most children, play with toy telephones by connecting two plastic cups with a long string. When the string is pulled tightly, sound is transmitted from one cup to the other. How does that thing work? (I 'm used to play with it but I ignored that fact).

Does it somethng to do with the sound traveling through the string?
 
Isn't that what arildno said?
 
franz32 said:
Most children, play with toy telephones by connecting two plastic cups with a long string. When the string is pulled tightly, sound is transmitted from one cup to the other. How does that thing work? (I 'm used to play with it but I ignored that fact).

Does it somethng to do with the sound traveling through the string?
Yes, but the cup is an important part of it. You can't just hold up a string and talk at it. It won't work. The cup is a good collector of the vibrations your voice is producing. These would otherwise dissipate with no effect on the string.

So, your voice vibrates the cup, which sends sound impulses along the string, which cause the other cup to vibrate in turn.

Sound can travel through gas, liquid, or solid.

This site here goes into more detail:

Address:http://www.le.ac.uk/se/centres/sci/selfstudy/snd3.htm
 
franz32 said:
... so thru what medium is the sound transmitted? =)
I agree with you, zoobyshoe, the cups are crucial in order to actually be able to send a sound wave through the string; however, I gave an answer to the quoted question (although, I admit, the answer was a bit short..)
 
I know, Arildno. Sometimes the problem is people aren't sure how to specify what information they're looking for. Since he asked again I thought I'd try answering "How does that thing work?"
 
Last edited:
Which you did splendidly :smile:
The link you gave seems interesting..
 
  • #10

Similar threads

High School What sound frequencies can pass through a hole in a wall?
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
5K
Undergrad What Generates Sound Waves and How Do They Travel Through Different Mediums?
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
5K
Undergrad How is sound transmitted through air so clearly
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
10K
High School How do sound waves interact when two radios are facing each other?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Graduate Exactly how do pressure waves work at the molecular level?
  • · Replies 49 ·
2
Replies
49
Views
5K
Graduate Pressure Propagation through Fluid
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
9K
Sound Waves in Different Mediums
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Undergrad How does temperature affect the speed of sound in different mediums?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
24K
High School How does output voltage of an electric guitar work?
  • · Replies 165 ·
6
Replies
165
Views
12K
High School How Do Sound and Light Differ in Their Propagation?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K