This is off the top of my head (which might not be a good thing), but sound energy is caused by the compression and rarefaction of molecules and doesn't really fit into the electromagnetic spectrum. That's why radio frequency waves have to be transduced by a speaker into sound waves. Electromagnetic energy is better explained as particle and wave physics which is why heat, light, and AC circuits all fit into that spectrum (as do other forms of electromagetic energy). Does that make sense? Carol
Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Chair, Department of Psychology St. Ambrose University Davenport, Iowa 52803 phone: 563-333-6482 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 10:58 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] sensation perception question Often times in texts there is an image of the spectrum of electromagnetic energy with vision limited to the range of about 350-750 nanometers of wavelength. I try to tell students that there the classroom is literally filled with all kinds of wavelengths bouncing around; some we can see, some we can hear and some are there but we are not consciously aware of them. Now I wondering in preparing today's lecture, where in the spectrum, by comparison, would sound waves fall, relative to the wavelengths that we "see". Certainly the receptors must be tuned to particular wavelengths with sound usually discussed in decibels or Hz. But here is a real ignorance of physics on my part: is there a comparison of sound and light wavelengths that we can talk about in terms of the human psychological abilities of vision and audition? If vision is 350-750 nanometers of wavelength, what is the type of sound humans can perceive? Thanks for filling in my deficient knowledge (I took chemistry for my core in college, ha ha! no physics :( Annette Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- ---
