What is the definition of sound?

The definition of sound is best described as vibrations that can be perceived by the ear. Sound originates from vibrations that travel through a medium, such as air, water, or solid materials. When these vibrations reach the eardrum, they are interpreted by the brain as sounds. This definition encompasses the full range of sounds that humans can hear, which includes a variety of frequencies and intensities.

While low-frequency waves are a subset of sound, they do not represent the complete scope of what sound is, as sound can exist across a wide range of frequencies, not just low ones. Similarly, stating that sound is electrical signals transmitted through the air is inaccurate; while sound can be converted into electrical signals (as in microphones), sound itself is not an electrical signal. Noise produced by mechanical actions may contribute to the sounds we hear, but it does not capture the essence of sound as a whole, which is fundamentally about the perception of vibration.