The Structure of Sound

Sound is a vibration that travels through a medium like air, creating waves of pressure changes. These vibrations are caused by objects moving, producing compressions and rarefactions that propagate outward. When these sound waves reach our ears, they cause tiny receptors that convert the vibrations into electrical signals, which our brain interprets as sound. The main characteristics of sound include pitch (frequency), loudness (amplitude), and tone (quality), all determined by the nature of the vibrations. Essentially, sound is energy transferred through oscillations, which our auditory system perceives as the various sounds we hear.