Sound
sound is a longitudinal wave
- air molecules vibrate along the direction the wave is travelling
- vibration of molecules causes compressions and rarefactions that travel through the air
As with all waves, it is energy (and not mass) that is transported along the path
sound moves with a finite speed
Vs=u=343m/s (1125 feet per second)
(in air at room temperature)
u depends on temperature, density,
material properties, aggregation state
speed of sound bigger in solids,
or gases with smaller atomic mass