Music: where physics and philosophy collide

Sound is the compression and expansion of air. Musical notes are produced when something (usually an instrument) vibrates and produces sound. This vibration is a wave, meaning it has the related properties frequency and wavelength. Frequency corresponds to the pitch of the sound. Wavelength is the distance taken up by the wave’s motion, and is inversely proportional to frequency, meaning higher frequencies have smaller wavelengths and vice versa. In short, larger vibrating parts produce lower pitch. More… →