Beats of waves is a term used in physicals and engineering as the envelope of an oscillating signal is a smooth curve outlining its extreme. The envelope then generalizes the concept of amplitude. There is a phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet while traveling along with the same medium and it is known as wave interference. If two upward displaced pulses having the same shape meet up with one another while traveling in the opposite direction along with a medium that medium will take the shape of an upward displaced pulse with twice the amplitude of two interfering pulses and this type of interference are called constructive interference. On another hand, destructive interference is an upward displaced pulse and downward pulse having the same shape meet up with one another while traveling in opposite directions along with medium than the two pulses cancel each other’s effect on the displacement of the medium and this medium will assume the equilibrium position.
What role do beats play in musical beats and intervals?
In the world of music interference of sound waves has a widespread application and music seldom consists of sound waves of a single frequency played continuously where few enthusiasts can be impressed by an orchestra and hearing a sound wave of 256 Hz will become monotonous. Music is a mixture of sound waves that have number ratios between the frequencies associated with their notes. And to demonstrate this nature of music one of the simplest mixture of two sound waves with 2:1 frequency ratios and this combination of waves is known as octave, a simple plot of wave pattern for two such waves will be shown in the diagram below. We can take a simple example of two sound waves with a clear mathematical relation between frequencies noted that the red waves have three half the frequencies of the blue waves and so on.
What is the beat frequency?
The beat frequency is known as to the rate at which the volume is heard to be oscillating from high to low volume for example if two complete cycles of low or high volumes can be heard every second and the best frequency is 2 Hz and best frequency is always equals to the difference in the frequency of two notes. As we take another example a piano tuner frequently utilizes the phenomena of beats to tune a piano string.