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Ultrasonics is generally described as the technology of sound above the range of human hearing.  The use of the term “sound,” however, is questionable since “sound” would imply something we (humans) can hear.  It all comes down to the question asking, “If a tree falls in a forest and there is no one there to hear … Continued

Before I start applying all of our new knowledge about sound to a discussion of ultrasonics, I thought I would interject this little tidbit of useful information about power configurations. Despite the fact that most companies employ skilled electricians, many of the people involved in specifying and designing cleaning (and other) equipment that uses electrical … Continued

Previous blogs have introduced the phenomenon of resonance.  In fact, most objects can resonate at more than one frequency and in multiple modes of vibration.  This blog will concentrate on resonance at multiples of the the fundamental frequency.  These are “harmonics” of the fundamental frequency. A good model to demonstrate the principle of resonance at multiples … Continued

The way in which sound sources operating at the same frequency combine to produce constructive and destructive intereference was discussed in a preceding blog.  In today’s blog, we will explore how sounds of two different frequencies combine to produce beat frequencies. Two sound sources operating in phase at the same frequency produce reinforcement or constructive … Continued

Sound waves produced by multiple sources, or even within a single source in some cases, interact with one another to produce a variety of interesting and useful results.  These interactions are commonly referred to as “interference” but one should not automatically conclude that this kind of interference is in any way related to the interference … Continued

The speed at which sound travels through a sound conducting media varies depending on the media.  In general, sound travels faster in liquids than it does in gasses.  Solids are the best conductors of all beating out both liquids and gasses.  The speed at which sound travels through most materials depends on several variables including … Continued

In a preceding blog I explained how sound waves are produced by a vibrating or pulsing source.  Today, I want to take a few minutes to talk about the way sound waves travel through a sound conducting medium and reflect from surfaces. Many years ago in high school physics class, I was taught that sound waves … Continued

Another of the basic properties of sound waves is frequency.  Frequency is what we commonly call the pitch or tone of a sound.  A higher frequency results in a higher tone while lower frequency results in a lower tone.  Within the human hearing spectrum, a piccolo produces higher frequency or higher tones while a tuba … Continued

The first step to an understanding of ultrasonics is to understand the physics of sound. Sound is vibration conducted from a vibrating or pulsing source. Sound is transmitted by all matter with variations in efficiency and speed depending on the nature of the matter and its environment. In general, solids are the best sound conductors … Continued

The next series of blogs will explore ultrasonic cleaning in some detail.  Today’s blog is an introduction to the world of ultrasound. The theory of sound was first defined and understood a little over 100 years ago when Lord Rayleigh published The Theory of Sound.  Rayleigh was a Nobel Prize winner and, was also responsible for a number of … Continued