67 articles
Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a wave beam, optical or acoustic, that pulls an object toward its source, named after the device conceived by Edward E. Smith in 1930s science fiction.
Tunable elastic metamaterials
Tunable elastic metamaterials are artificial materials whose response to elastic waves, such as band gaps, can be changed after fabrication by stimuli like heat, light, or fields.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound whose frequency lies above the upper limit of human hearing, about 20 kHz. Its largest use is medicine, for diagnostic imaging and therapy.
Underwater acoustics
Underwater acoustics, also known as hydroacoustics, studies how sound propagates through water and interacts with its boundaries, enabling sonar, ocean navigation, and communication where radio and light cannot reach.
Vehicle horn
A vehicle horn, or car horn, is an audible warning device fitted to motor vehicles, usually electromechanical, that drivers sound to alert others of danger.
Vuvuzela
The vuvuzela, also known as the lepatata, is a long plastic horn blown by South African football fans, known worldwide for its drone at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Waveform
A waveform is the pattern of oscillating pressure produced by a sound, graphed as amplitude against time or distance and described by frequency, amplitude, and phase.