• Frequency f is the number of times the sound pressure varies from its equilibrium value through a complete cycle per unit time. It is usually expressed as cycles per second or hertz (1 Hz = 1 cycle per second). The frequency is also denoted by the radial frequency w = 2p f, expressed in radians per second.

• The period T is the length of time for a single cycle to occur, and it is simply the reciprocal of f.

• If the frequency lies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz, the sound can be heard by humans. (Demonstration how the pitch varies with frequencies). This constitutes the audio frequency range. Below 20 Hz, sound is considered to be infrasonic. Ultrasonic signals occurs above 20 kHz and cannot be heard by humans. Ultrasound finds a great deal of use in the medical field for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In industry, it is used to clean materials, welding, detecting structural flaws (a major non-destructive test), serving as detector of intrusions.

• The wavelength l constitutes the distance from one point in the cycle to the corresponding point in the next cycle. The vibrating molecules that transmit the acoustic signals do not, on the average.change their positions but merely move back and forth under the influence of the transmitted waves. The distances these particles move about their respective equilibrium positions are referred to as displacement amplitudes. The velocity at which the molecules oscillate back and forth are referred to as particle velocity, which is not to be confused with the speed of sound c which describes the rate the acoustic waves travel through a medium.

• Frequency, wavelength and propagation speed are related to each other by the relation: 

• The speed of sound for an ideal gas may be found from 

where g is the ratio of specific heats, which is equal to 1.4 for air, p the absolute pressure, r the mass density, R the thermodynamic gas constant, and T the absolute temperature of the gas.

• The speed of sound in an elastic solid may be predicted from:

where E is the elastic constant for the solid and r the mass density of the solid.

• The speed of sound in a liquid does not lend itself to simple expressions. Experimental measurements need to be conducted to determine propagation speeds in liquids as function of the medium�s temperature and, to a lesser degree, pressure.

• Sound propagation speed in gases are lower than those in liquids. And sound travels more swiftly in solids than in liquids. For instance, the velocity of sound in dry air at 20�C is 344 m/s; that for propagation through water 1500 m/s, and that for steel 5140 m/s.