In this illustrated physics tutorial, students learn about sound wave behaviors and apply them to the reflection, diffraction, and refraction of sound waves.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students explore how mechanical waves are transmitted., and find out what is meant by interference and intensity of sound waves.

A discussion of refraction and its application to sound waves. Using analogies, graphics and real-life applications, this page and those that accompany it explain why and when sound waves bend.

This tutorial looks at the behavior of sound waves, specifically focusing upon sound interference and beats. Learn more about it and then take a short quiz to check your understanding.

Provides a simple explanation of how sound waves travel and gives a long list of facts about sound waves.

Discusses the physics of how sound travels. Includes a video of a volcanic eruption that demonstrates the speed of sound waves.

This physics tutorial invites users to discover that sound is a mechanical wave. Be sure click on the animation for further study.

This physics tutorial invites users to discover how sound is a pressure wave. Be sure to view the animation.

Elaborate on the essential characteristics and the causes of standing wave patterns and relate these patterns to the vibrations of musical instruments.

Through illustrated diagrams and interactive practice examples, students explore the physics of sound in open-end air column musical instruments.

Through illustrated diagrams and interactive practice examples, students explore the physics of sound in closed-end air column musical instruments.

The focus of this physics tutorial is on the application of mathematical relationships and standing wave concepts to musical instruments in three general categories of instruments: instruments with vibrating strings, open-end air column...

An animation explaining how sound travels and demonstrating how sound transmission is affected by environment.

Extensive information about how waves behave in an elastic medium. Covers different types of waves, their characteristics and behavior, the anatomy of the ear, the speed of sound in different media, the parts of a wave, and wave phenomena.

Here is an introduction to the concept of waves and wavelike motion people experience anywhere and everywhere.

This lesson plan encourages learners to model a wave in a variety of ways using ropes and rubber bands. Resources included are videos of the lesson plan in action, a student worksheet, and examples of student work.

Just how loud does a sound have to be for us to hear it? And how loud is too loud for our ears? Learn to measure levels of sound in this project, and discover the amazing auditory range your ears can detect in the noisy world around you.

For musical instruments and other objects that vibrate in regular and periodic fashion, the harmonic frequencies are related to each other by simple whole number ratios. Students learn why these whole number ratios exist for a musical...

Middle schoolers investigate sound in their environment, particularly how sounds impact their lives. At the beginning of the unit, students use online simulations to investigate the properties of sound and learn about the components of a...

How your ears and your brain turn the sound waves out there in the world into the experience of music in your head, remains a mystery to many, but yet we all experience and even enjoy sounds and music. If you're interested in doing a...

Explains what happens to a wave when it hits a fixed end or a free end.

This interactive activity from A Science Odyssey tracks the journey of a sound wave from the moment a musician sings into a microphone until his voice reaches the vibrating speakers of an AM Radio.

This site's entry is a discussion of diffraction and its application to acoustics and acoustical design. Exceptional illustrations and great discussion throughout.

At this site from the Nobel e-Museum, you can read about the scientific work of Lord Rayleigh (1842-1919 CE). This article includes information on his education and experiments with light and sound waves.