Infrasound
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Infrasound is sound below a frequency of 20Hz.
About Infrasound
- Infrasound is any sound which is too low pitched to hear. Since the lowest frequency a human can hear 20Hz, then infrasound is any sound below that.
- Humans cannot hear frequencies below 20Hz because their ear drums are too small.
- Large animals such as whales and elephants can hear infrasound because their ear drums are larger than human ear drums.
- Infrasound detectors can be used to track large animals which communicate using infrasound.
- P-waves are infrasound and a type of seismic wave caused by earthquakes.
- Infrasound detectors can help locate the source of an earthquake.