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Common terms and phrases
action aërial agitated atmosphere audible augmented beats bell burner carbonic acid caused centre column of air condensation corresponding density direction disk distance divides echoes effect elasticity Eustachian tube experiments fog-signals fork fundamental tone gases glass Glass Harmonica hear heard heat Helmholtz illustrated inches instrument intensity interval John Herschel law of superposition layers length light longitudinal membrane ment miles Montlhéry motion musical sound nodal lines nodes number of vibrations observed obtained octave organ-pipe orifice oscillation overtones particles pass pendulum pipe pitch placed plate pressure produced Prof prongs puffs pulses rarefaction rates of vibration ratio reed reflected rendered resonance resultant tone rod fixed rotation screen sensitive flame siren sonorous wave sound-wave South Foreland square stretched string surface temperature tion Trinity House tube tuning-fork tympanic membrane unison velocity of sound ventral segments vibrating segments Villejuif whistle wire
Popular passages
Page 15 - In the following pages I have tried to render the science of Acoustics interesting to all intelligent persons, including those who do not possess any special scientific culture.
Page 26 - ... you ought to see the particles separated more widely apart. You ought, in short, to be able to seize the conception that a sonorous wave consists of two portions, in the one of which the air is more dense, and in the other of which it is less dense than usual. A condensation and a rarefaction, then, are the two constituents of a wave of sound...
Page 40 - ... the ratio of the specific heat of air at constant pressure to the specific heat at constant volume.
Page 372 - And thus, no matter how complicated the motion of the external air may be, these microscopic strings can analyse it, and reveal the constituents of which it is composed. Surely, inability to feel the stupendous wonder of what is here revealed would imply incompleteness of mind ; and surely those who practically ignore or fear them must be ignorant of the ennobling influence which such discoveries may be made to exercise upon both the emotions and the understanding of man.
Page 395 - ... separated by an interval of a fifth. " Thus, dividing his string at different points, Pythagoras found the so-called consonant intervals in music to correspond with certain lengths of his string ; and he made the extremely important discovery, that the simpler the relation of the two parts into which the string was divided, the more perfect was the harmony of the two sounds.
Page 371 - Behind the bony partition, and between it and the brain, we have the extraordinary organ called the labyrinth, filled with water, over the lining membrane, of which are distributed the terminal fibres of the auditory nerve.
Page 5 - ... absent. Thus in moving directly from a station, the sound is audible for the distance of a mile, is then lost for about the same distance, after which it is again distinctly heard for a long time. This action is common to all...
Page 9 - ... miles from the station, the fog-signal, which is a 10-inch steam-whistle, was distinctly perceived and continued to be heard with increasing intensity of sound until within about three miles, when the sound suddenly ceased to be heard, and was not perceived again until the vessel approached within a quarter of a mile of the station, although from conclusive evidence furnished by the keeper it was shown that the signal had been sounding during the whole time.
Page 48 - As to the motion of the parts one amongst another, to their becoming sensible, they require either that their motions be increased, or that the organ be made more nice and powerful to sensate and distinguish them as they are ; for the doing of both which I think it is not impossible but that in many cases there may be helps found.
Page 281 - I was rowed to the shore, and landed at the base of the South Foreland Cliff. The body of air which had already shown such extraordinary power to intercept the sound, and which manifested this power still more impressively later in the day, was now in front of us. On it the sonorous waves impinged, and from it they were sent back to us with astonishing intensity. The instruments, hidden from view, were on the summit of a cliff 235 ft.