Simulation d'ondes sonores
Sound is a pressure wave, and this simulation shows both faces of it: the air molecules bunching and spreading, and the pressure trace that a microphone would record. Change frequency and amplitude to see how pitch and loudness map onto the wave.
Comment utiliser cette simulation
- Change the frequency and amplitude
- Switch the medium between air, water and steel
- View the molecular motion alongside the pressure graph
Ce qu’il faut observer
- Higher frequency raises pitch and shortens the wavelength
- Larger amplitude means louder sound with no change in pitch
- Sound travels several times faster in water than in air
La physique derrière
Sound propagates as longitudinal pressure variations. Frequency determines pitch, with human hearing spanning roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, while amplitude determines loudness. Speed depends on the medium — about 340 m/s in air, far faster in water and faster still in steel — because it is set by the medium's stiffness and density, not by the source.