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Home » Sound: Pitch vs. Loudness

Sound: Pitch vs. Loudness

By Janice VanCleave

Things that vibrate send out sound waves. Characteristics of sound include, pitch, loudness, and quality.

The pitch of a sound is how high or low a sound is.
Pitch is basically your ears’ response to the frequency of a sound.

Note: Original Art and more information found here:

Mediacollege.com
How Sound Works.

Snagit and Snagit Editor used to capture and edit. 

Frequency

 

Frequency is determined by how fast the sound producing objects vibrates.

Frequency is the number of waves that move past a point in one second. In the diagram, if the sound waves move from the speaker, through the air, and into the ear in one second, what is the frequency of the sound?

Frequency = 6 waves per second

Pitch

Pitch is how high or low a sound is.

Pitch depends on the frequency of a sound.

Loudness

The loudness of a wave depends on its energy. The greater the energy the louder the sound. The greater the energy the greater the amplitude (height) of the sound wave.

In the diagram:

Wave A and B have the same frequency, but A is louder.
Waves A and B have the same pitch.

Waves C and D have the same frequency, but C is louder.
Waves C and D have the same pitch.

33101X: Sticky, Gloppy, Wacky, and Wonderful Experiments Sticky, Gloppy, Wacky, and Wonderful Experiments

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The spoon hanging from the string vibrates when struck and these vibrations are transmitted through the string and the sound is amplified by the plastic cups. ABOUT ME: Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50 best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years. MORE.....

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