Re: The next wave

[Mike Ravicz <mer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>what is the
>highest
>frequency that
>sound can
>have?

I'll take a stab at it...

As usual, the answer to such a question is, "It depends" - what did you
have in mind when you referred to "sound"?  The highest frequency you can
hear?  The highest frequency anyone can hear (~20 kHz)?  The highest
frequency any creature can hear in air (~120 kHz)?  The highest frequency
any creature can hear in water (~180-220 kHz)?  The highest frequency at
which vibrations can be transmitted through air (~10 GHz)? through water?
The highest frequency anything can vibrate (10 THz, according to the
Dictionary of Acoustics)?

Ultrasonic refers to sound at frequencies higher than can be heard by an
average young person, but in my experience, people usually use it refer to
frequencies higher than about 50 kHz.  Frequencies too high to propagate
(e.g., 10 GHz in air) are referred to as hypersonic (Dictionary of
Acoustics again).

Why do you ask?
        - Mike Ravicz