Answers to Readers' Questions on Sound Beats. Also refer to physics, waveform, vibration, compression, transverse, sine wave, units, wavelength, frequency, amplitude, volume, pitch, tone, velocity, speed, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Answers to Readers' Questions on Sound Beats
The following 5 questions have been answered. They are listed according to date.
List of first 10 items
- Using three tuning forks
- What is the maximum difference in frequencies?
- Beats for frequencies far apart
- Can harmonic components produce beat frequency?
- Hearing sounds at different pitches
Using three tuning forks
Question
February 14, 2009
What if 3 tuning forks of frequencies say, 400, 401 and 402 Hz are vibrated. Then how do we define/find out beat frequency?
please help me with this problem
Krishna - India
17272
Answer
The beat frequency for combining 400 Hz and 401 Hz would be 1 Hz. Also, the beat frequency for combining 401 Hz and 402 Hz would be 1 Hz. But you would also have to include the beat frequency for combining 400 Hz and 402 Hz, which would be 2 Hz.
I believe that the envelopes of the 1 Hz beat and the 2 Hz beat would combine to result in a modulated 1 Hz beat.
Since tuning forks aren't tuned to a single Hz and can vary with temperature, you could try this experiment with three sound generators. It would be interesting to verify the concept.
What is the maximum difference in frequencies?
Question
February 15, 2007
can two sounds of 1000Hz and 500 Hz create beats? or in other words, what is the maximum possible difference between the frequencies of two sounds that we could say that create beats?
andrea - Israel
13163
Answer
The resulting beat would be the difference between 1000 Hz and 500 Hz, which is 500 Hz. In other words, you wouldn't be able to distinguish the beats.
Beats are really a modulation of the amplitude. Since a human can hear down to 70 Hz, the modulation would have to be somewhat less than 70 to be able to be distinguished.
Beats for frequencies far apart
Question
September 29, 2006
Hi,
I would like to know, if we will be able to hear beats if the two sine waves we are adding are of frequencies 100 Hz and 1000Hz, since you have said that the frequencies need to be close inorder to hear beats (in the harmonics question)..
- USA
12042
Answer
When the frequencies are very close, you can hear the sound slowly increase and decrease in amplitude. When the frequencies are far apart the rate is so fast that you can't distinguish it from another sound.
Can harmonic components produce beat frequency?
Question
April 13, 2006
Can harmonic components of human speech produce beat frequency. VF is vibrationg at fundamental frequency. Can it produce beat frequency?
kunda - USA
10838
Answer
Beats are caused by two frequencies fairly close to each other. Harmonics are usually so far apart in frequency (i.e. multiples) that no beats are heard.
When a person singing has a vibrato in the voice, it is actually a beat frequency, where two notes are very close to each other. Some people think vibrato in singing is good, but others prefer singing in a pure note.
Hearing sounds at different pitches
Question
December 11, 2004
What is the differents between, volume, pitch and tone? They are all related to what you hear. for example: you can have a sound the is very high pich and low dB and you say "AHHHH! thats loud! or somthing that is loud yet very low pich and you say "I can barly here that" and tone has some part in both of these yet i don't konw what.
Thanks
BJ - USA
5308
Answer
The ear perceives different frequencies more effectively than others. High pitch may sound louder because the ear detects it better than a low pitch.
See Sensing Loudness http://www.school-for-champions.com/senses/hearloud.htm
Also see Sensing Pitch http://www.school-for-champions.com/senses/hearpitch.htm
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Answers to Readers' Questions on Sound Beats