Acoustics & Sound For Musicians - Online Book

The Theory Of Sound Which Constitutes The Physical Basis Of The Art Of Music.

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	I. § 14.] EXTENSION OF THE TERM ' WAVE:           29 movement which is important from its similarity to that to which the transmission of Sound is due. 14. Any one who has looked down from a slight elevation upon a field of standing corn on a gusty day, must have frequently observed a kind of thrill running along its surface. As each ear of corn is capable of only a slight swaying movement, we have here necessarily an instance of wave-motion, the ear-vibrations corresponding to the particle-vibrations in the cases already examined. There is, however, this important peculiarity in the instance now before us, that the ears' movements are mainly horizontal i. e. executed in the line of the wave's advance. The wave, therefore, no longer presents itself to the eye as exclusively a condition of alternate protuberance of outline in opposite directions, but mainly as a state of more tightly, or less tightly, packed ears. The
	annexed figure gives a rough idea how this takes place. The wind is supposed to be moving from left to right and to have just reached the ear A. Its neighbours to the right are still undisturbed. The