Sound & Vibration

How vibrations create sound waves with pitch and volume

Sound is created by vibrations. When an object vibrates, it pushes air molecules back and forth, creating pressure waves that travel outward. Frequency (measured in Hertz) determines pitch: more vibrations per second = higher pitch. Amplitude determines volume: bigger vibrations = louder sound. Sound travels through different materials at different speeds: ~343 m/s in air, ~1480 m/s in water, ~5960 m/s in steel. Sound cannot travel through a vacuum because there are no molecules to vibrate.