Page 31 - The Master Handbook Of Acoustics
P. 31
6 CHAPTER ONE
Vibration of air particle
Maximum Equilibrium Maximum
displacement position displacement
Displacement
Time
FIGURE 1-4
An air particle is made to vibrate about its equilibrium position by the energy of a pass-
ing sound wave because of the interaction of the elastic forces of the air and the iner-
tia of the air particle.
Direction of Particle
wave travel motion
Water
A
surface
Violin
B string
Sound
C
in air
FIGURE 1-5
Particles involved in the propagation of sound waves can dance in circular, transverse,
or longitudinal motions.
