Lecture delivered by Capt. W. De W. Abney, R.E., P.B.S., at the Royal Institution, on February 25, 1887.—Nature.
THE WAVE THEORY OF SOUND CONSIDERED.
By HENRY. A. MOTT, Ph.D., LL.D.
Before presenting any of the numerous difficulties in the way of accepting the wave theory of sound as correct, it will be best to briefly represent its teachings, so that the reader will see that the writer is perfectly familiar with the same.
The wave theory of sound starts off with the assumption that the atmosphere is composed of molecules, and that these supposed molecules are free to vibrate when acted upon by a vibrating body. When a tuning fork, for example, is caused to vibrate, it is assumed that the supposed molecules in front of the advancing fork are crowded closely together, thus forming a condensation, and on the retreat of the fork are separated more widely apart, thus forming a rarefaction. On account of the crowding of the molecules together to form the condensation, the air is supposed to become more dense and of a higher temperature, while in the rarefaction the air is supposed to become less dense and of lower temperature; but the heat of the condensation is supposed to just satisfy the cold of the rarefaction, in consequence of which the average temperature of the air remains unchanged.
The supposed increase of temperature in the condensation is supposed to facilitate the transference of the sound pulse, in consequence of which, sound is able to travel at the rate of 1,095 feet a second at 0°C., which it would not do if there was no heat generated.
In other words, the supposed increase of temperature is supposed to add 1/6 to the velocity of sound.
If the tuning fork be a Koenig C3 fork, which makes 256 full vibrations in one second, then there will be 256 sound waves in one second of a length of 1095/256 or 4.23 feet, so that at the end of a second of time from the commencement of the vibration, the foremost wave would have reached a distance of 1,095 feet, at 0°C.