Book 14, Question 13
What Does It Mean When We Say a Sound Has a Frequency?
Frequency tells you how many times something vibrates in one second! We measure it in a unit called hertz. More vibrations each second means a higher sound.
More fun facts
- Frequency is how many times per second a sound wave repeats.
- Frequency is measured in hertz; one hertz is one wave per second.
- The faster the vibrations, the higher the pitch.
- Two sounds can be equally loud but have different pitches.
- Radio and TV waves have such high frequencies that they are measured in kilohertz or megahertz.
Sources: National Park Service, BBC, BBC
Questions kids ask
Is frequency the same as pitch?
Pretty much. Higher frequency sounds have a higher pitch.