Importance of Sound and its Applications in Our Life

A sound is a form of energy that trans-locates through matter. The importance of sound is quite enormous as it helps in

1. Communications
2. Health care diagnosis
3. Music
4. Signaling system
5. Analyze the distance or depths in the oceans.
6. Breakdown of small particles
7. Removal of gases from liquids
8. Telephone
9. For sterilization (kill bacteria)
10. For tissue growth

This sound propagates in the form of waves through the air. These waves have a specific frequency and wavelengths.

The quality and intensity of sound vary due to these two parameters.

The Uses of sound and its applications

1. For communication

• Sound is the only main form of communication for humans and animals.

• We, humans, communicate verbally with spoken languages besides body language.

• In comparison, the animals make sounds to communicate with each other.

• Without the sound, the voice would have been challenging to emit.

• The sound information is taken up by the ears and processed by the hearing mechanism.

Based on the sounds, we can even identify the person’s mood. We express sound as auditory words, expressive tone, crying, shouting, etc.

2. Health care diagnosis in medicine

• Sound has an echo effect, a reflection of sound waves returning to the point of emission.

• This echo phenomenon is used as a diagnostic aid for the non-invasive detection of conditions of internal organs like the heart or even fetal check using ultrasonographic examination.

• Similarly, high-frequency sound waves are used to visualize the kidneys, heartbeats, and breathing sounds can be heard by stethoscope, etc.

3. As music

• Music is an art that relies solely on sound. Without sound, there is no music from music systems.

• It communicates the message, soothes the mind, and also helps relieve stress and enhance mood.

• Music is a sound in a controlled and fine-tuned manner.

• It relies a lot on the frequency and pitch of the voice.

For instruments, factors like the frequency, intensity, and resonance of the sound matter.

Hence, you can notice that there is a big hollow at the end for instruments like violin and guitar.

This hallow creates a sound resonance, making the music further distinct from the instrument.

This music is now day recorded for future use by sound reproduction systems.

4. Signaling system

• Sound is the signaling system used for trains, automobiles, river flows (Dam water release), and industry sirens.

• Sound as a signaling system is used as horns, sirens, calling bells, beeps, etc.

• The sound signal system is one of the least expensive ones. Further, it is less harmful to the environment around.

• But excess and frequent use can cause sound pollution.

• Further, the alarm system uses sound. Hence, mobile ringing, alarms, and message alerts use sound as an alerting means.

5. To find the depth/ distant objects

• This you might have SONAR in physics of the sound use in oceanography.

• Sound waves are one of the few means available to measure the seas’ depth and the deep holes in the earth.

• SONAR waves (SOUND NAVIGATION AND RANGING) can find other objects at a long distance.

• The sound is allowed to travel through the sea or ocean bottom and return.

• This time taken by a particular frequency of sound to reach the sea bed and return to the source (receiver of sound) is used to calculate the sea’s depth.

• Similarly, a moving object can send sound waves in the direction of its motion and know if anything is moving at long distances.

6. For degassing of liquids

• Liquids like water and solvents used in the analysis have air bubbles and other gases entrapped inside them.

• This air has to be removed for proper flow through minute pores in the matter.

• This is particularly required for chromatography experiments.

• The procedure for gas removal, i.e., degassing of solvent, can be done by ultrasonification.

• This is essential for the flow of the liquid phase under constant pressure in the analysis of compounds using HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), or else it can slow down the pressure in the column and hinder analysis.

7. For de-granulation of solid particles

• Large solid particles in a suspension or tissue fraction can be broken down by grinding.

• But tiny particles like less than 1mm cannot be broken down further using grinders.

• Then, they can be broken down by the use of ultrasonic sound waves.

• These waves are thought to create vigorous crests and troughs in the liquid media.

These vibrations bring about the splitting of particles into smaller ones.

8. Telephone communication

• The telephone is one of the best discoveries ever made by man.

• The telephone machine receives sound waves from the person at the mouthpiece.

• The sound waves cause vibration in magnetic carbon particles in it.

• Thus, the electric signal is generated based on the pitch and frequency of the voice and is communicated.

• Here, the sound from the voice exerts pressure on the diaphragm in the mouthpiece.

9. In sterilization

• Ultrasound is also tried in sterilization. This is done to inhibit the growth of microbes and even kill them.

• Sonication disrupts the cell walls of bacteria and kills them. But, they are used in low frequency along with disinfectants for a synergistic effect.

10. To enhance cell growth

• Sonication is also found to be effective in tissue culture.

• Some findings suggest that sonication selectively enhances the growth of cells & tissues.

• Also, it is found to facilitate gene transfer during cell culture & in biotechnology.

References

• What is sonar
• Use of ultrasound waves in tissue culture
• How telephone works

• Ultrasound-based sterilization approaches

• How far does sound travel in the ocean?