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Contents of Physics -2 : Sound, Electricity and Magnetism
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during sound production and they travel to our eardrums which vibrate and produce sensations of sound. Different sounds have differring vibration frequencies, hence identified differently. Thus, atmospheric space becomes an essential part to propagate sound. The Nyāya school, thus, seems to have taken the propagation medium as the source of origination of sound.
The definition of space is nearly similar in both the philosophies. On the basis of the theory of like produces like, the non-material space can not produce material sound. However, if non-material nature means energiness of sound, the philosophical theory may become better scientific as will be shown later. Jaina Postulates and Scientific Theory of Sound
Physicists have studied large number of facts about sound during the last two hundred years. It will be interesting to see how far our canonical concepts move with them. This will be described under five main heads : (a) Nature of Sound
Physicists tell us sound as a form of mechano-kinetic energy produced due to vibratory motion of molecules above a threshold. This energy has wave-length greater than heat or light waves26. It might theoretically be logical to presume energy as basically material in the Einsteinian days, but there is a clear difference between common material and energy. It is normally imperceptible and inferred by its effects. The weight of energy is so small as to call it weightless, and hence formless, and non-material. Actually, it has been shown to be wavicular by nature as has already been described in other cases. Secondly, energy is a symbol of action and motion with its two varieties - potential and kinetic, sound being a form of kinetic energy. Thus, to call sound as material – is just a question of reference to the definition of matter and energy. All forms of energies of today were supposed to be material upto Newtonian age irrespective of their dimensions. Einsteinian theory abolished the
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