Thanks Elizabeth, that was a great explanation. From your explanation I would guess that connections (e.g., spades) also would affect the wave especially if the connector was a huge hunk of different material? I assume material "density" (or resistance) would impede some frequencies more than others?
How does music "move" down a wire?
Please excuse me for this question if it is dumb. I'm trying to understand how music/sound moves down a wire. (I think) I understand how sound is transmitted through air and that an electrical signal is produced by the source (e.g., stylus in groove) which, after various amplification stages, then 'excites' electrons in the speaker cable.
However, I don't know if different notes (e.g., double bass versus flute) 'excite' the electrons in different ways. That is, do the electrons excited by bass notes move slower than those excited by flute notes? To add complication, music is comprised of many notes played at the same time. Do some electrons move with the bass notes and others with the flute notes, or is it a wave of electrons with various layers of frequency one atop the other?
Would electrons be moving similarly in each wire of a stranded cable (i.e., they would only be excited within the boundaries of that particular wire) as opposed to the electrons moving across the full diameter of the cable?
However, I don't know if different notes (e.g., double bass versus flute) 'excite' the electrons in different ways. That is, do the electrons excited by bass notes move slower than those excited by flute notes? To add complication, music is comprised of many notes played at the same time. Do some electrons move with the bass notes and others with the flute notes, or is it a wave of electrons with various layers of frequency one atop the other?
Would electrons be moving similarly in each wire of a stranded cable (i.e., they would only be excited within the boundaries of that particular wire) as opposed to the electrons moving across the full diameter of the cable?