Physics · Glossary

What is Ultrasound and infrasound?

Also known as: ultrasound · infrasound

Definition 8.11 High School Physics · Chapter 8 — Signals and Waves

The human ear hears sound between about 20Hz20\,\mathrm{Hz} and 20kHz20\,\mathrm{kHz} (the ceiling drops with age). Sound above 20kHz20\,\mathrm{kHz} is ultrasound — bats hunt at 50kHz50\,\mathrm{kHz}, medical scanners image the body at a few megahertz. Sound below 20Hz20\,\mathrm{Hz} is infrasound, felt by elephants and seismometers.

Sound frequencies on a logarithmic scale (each step × 10). The ear hears from 20\, Hz to 20\, kHz; below is infrasound, above is ultrasound.
Sound frequencies on a logarithmic scale (each step ×10\times 10). The ear hears from 20Hz20\,\mathrm{Hz} to 20kHz20\,\mathrm{kHz}; below is infrasound, above is ultrasound.
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