Biology / Unit 12 Bio 2895 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Sound Wave Properties: Frequency and Amplitude
Captions available
The idea
A sound wave's frequency, measured in hertz, is perceived as pitch, and its amplitude, measured in decibels, is perceived as volume; humans typically hear between about 20 and 20,000 hertz.
In practice
Dogs detect frequencies up to about 40,000 hertz, well above the human ceiling.
Where people slip
Sound waves need a medium to travel through — unlike light, they cannot propagate through a vacuum.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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