The back-and-forth vibrational motion of the particles of the medium would not be the only observable phenomenon occurring at a given frequency. Since a sound wave is a pressure wave, a detector could be used to detect oscillations in pressure from a high pressure to a low pressure and back to a high pressure. As the compressions (high pressure) and rarefactions (low pressure) move through the medium, they would reach the detector at a given frequency.
Learner's definition of MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. : related in such a way that each thing makes the other thing impossible: not able to be true at the same time or to exist together. â often used after not to describe things that can exist together or at the same time. War and peace are mutually exclusive. [=war and peace cannot exist at the same time]. mutually exclusive events. [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples. In a marriage, love and conflict are not mutually exclusive. [=both love and conflict can exist in a marriage at the same time]. [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples.
Language development and language endangerment are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, many languages that had once risen above level 6a (due to language development efforts when they were in vigorous use by all generations) are now losing users.