Sonic Spectrum: Infrasound, Audible Sound, Ultrasound

What is the primary factor that allows infrasound to travel long distances without losing much power?

Which of the following is a symptom caused by intense infrasonic noise?

Infrasound is used in the study of heart mechanical function through which of the following methods?

What is the frequency range of ultrasound?

Which of the following media makes it difficult to minimize the effects of infrasound?

In clinical applications, ultrasound is often preferred over X-rays because it:

Which of the following phenomena is typically associated with infrasound?

What is the unit of sound wave intensity?

What range of frequencies is audible to the human ear?

Which type of sound waves are used to study heart mechanical function?

Sonic Spectrum

Sonic spectrum can be classified into three frequency ranges: infrasound, audible sound, and ultrasound, based on frequency and atmospheric pressure.
Infrasound: less than 20Hz, produced by natural phenomena like earthquake waves and atmospheric pressure changes.
Audible Sound: 20Hz to 20kHz, audible to the human ear.
Ultrasound: greater than 20kHz.

Infrasonic Effect on the Human Body

Infrasound can travel long distances without losing much power due to its low absorption and large wavelength.
Infrasound can travel through most media, making it difficult to minimize its effects.
Intense infrasonic noise causes clear symptoms including respiratory impairment and aural pain.
Other potential effects include fear, visual hallucinations, and chills.

Applications of Infrasound and Ultrasound

Infrasound is used to study heart mechanical function through seismocardiograms.
Ultrasound is used clinically in several specialties, providing more information than X-rays and being less hazardous to the fetus.

Intensity of a Sound Wave

Intensity of a sound wave (I) is the energy carried by the wave per unit area and per unit time (W/m²).
Intensity can be expressed by the maximum change in the wave per unit area and per unit time (W/m²).
The characteristics of a substance affect the intensity of a sound wave, with factors including density (ρ), velocity (v), and acoustic impedance (Z).

Learn about the three frequency ranges of the sonic spectrum, including infrasound, audible sound, and ultrasound, and their effects on the human body.