CHAPTER: SOUND

NOTE:

NCERT do questions 5,6,8 in physics notebook

Living Science do questions C:1,6 D:1,2,3,8 E:1,3

LIVING SCIENCE
A.MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS:
Question 1:

Which of the following is true for an oscillating pendulum of fixed length?

(a) Frequency depends on amplitude of oscillation.
(b) Frequency and time-period are not related.
(c) Time-period depends on amplitude of oscillation.
(d) Frequency and time-period do not depend on amplitude of oscillation.
ANSWER:

(d) Frequency and time-period do not depend on amplitude of oscillation.

Frequency is inversely related to time-period and time-period does not depend on amplitude.
Question 2:

The quality of sound produced by a tuning fork is different from that produced by a musical
instrument because of difference in
(a) amplitude
(b) frequency
(c) harmonics
(d) none of these
ANSWER:

(c) harmonics

Tuning fork and musical instruments will produce sounds of different harmonics and loudness.
Question 3:

Sound can travel through

(a) solids only
(b) liquids only
(c) gases only
(d) all of these
ANSWER:
(d) all of these

Sound travels through the vibrations of molecules and molecules are present in all solids,
liquids and gases
Question 4:An object vibrates with a frequency of 15 hertz. Which of the following is true?
(a) It produces sound that we can hear.
(b) It does not produce sound.
(c) It produces sound that we cannot hear.
(d) It produces sound that we can hear if we strain our ears.
ANSWER:

(c) It produces sound that we cannot hear.

Humans can hear sounds in the frequency range 20Hz - 20000Hz.

Question 5:

In which medium does sound travel fastest?

(a) air
(b) water
(c) steel
(d) vacuum
ANSWER:

(c) steel

The molecules of steel are much more closely packed compared to that of air, water and
vacuum. So, molecular vibrations pass quite quickly in steel. Consequently, sound travels fastest
in steel.
Question 6:

Which of the following characteristics of sound depends on the amplitude of vibrations?

(a) speed
(b) pitch
(c) loudness
(d) quality
ANSWER:
(c) loudness

Loudness of sound depends on the amplitude of vibrations.

Question 7:

Sound of frequency 320 Hz is of lower pitch than sound of frequency

(a) 10 Hz
(b) 180 Hz
(c) 256 Hz
(d) 512 Hz
ANSWER:

(d) 512 Hz

Higher the frequency, higher is the pitch of sound.

Question 8:

Which of the following frequencies produces sound that is audible?

(a) 5 Hz
(b) 15 Hz
(c) 500 Hz
(d) 50,000 Hz
ANSWER:

(c) 500 Hz

We can hear sound in the frequency range of 20 - 20000 Hz.

Question 9:

Which of these is expected to be the best absorber of sound?

(a) iron
(b) wood
(c) wool
(d) cemented wall
ANSWER:
Wool is the best absorber of sound among the given option

B.VERY SHORT ANSWERS QUESTIONS:

Question 1:

Sound is produced by __________.

ANSWER:

Sound is produced by vibrations.

Question 2:

Name the instrument used in the laboratory to produce sound of a fixed frequency.
ANSWER:

Tuning fork is used in the laboratory to produce sound of a fixed frequency.

Question 3:

What does loudness of sound depend on?

ANSWER:

Loudness of sound depends on the amplitude of vibration. Higher the amplitude of vibration,
louder is the sound produced.
Question 4:

Give the term for 'number of vibrations per second'.

ANSWER:

'Frequency' is the term for 'number of vibrations per second'.

Question 5:

Frequency is measured in __________.

ANSWER:

Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz).

Question 6:

The pitch of sound depends on the time period of vibration. Is it true or false?
ANSWER:

Yes, the pitch of sound depends on the time period of vibration.

Question 7:

In general, which sound has greater frequency−a bird singing or a man singing?
ANSWER:

The sound of a singing bird has higher frequency than that of a singing man due to higher pitch
of the bird's song.

Question 8:

Most vibrating objects generate sound of several frequencies simultaneously. Is it true or false?
ANSWER:

It's true that most vibrating objects generate sound of several frequencies simultaneously.
Question 9:

The quality of two sounds with the same fundamental frequency differs because of the number
and relative loudness of the __________
ANSWER:

The quality of two sounds with the same fundamental frequency differs because of the number
and relative loudness of the harmonics produced.
Question 10:

The sound produced by a tuning fork has no harmonics. Is it true or false?

ANSWER:

False, a tuning fork produces harmonics that are very soft and so, barely audible.
Question 11:

Flute is a __________ instrument.

ANSWER:

Flute is a wind instrument.

Question 12:

The pitch of the sound produced by a guitar can be altered by reducing the vibrating length of
the guitar string. Is it true or false?
ANSWER:

It's true that the pitch of the sound produced by a guitar can be altered by reducing the
vibrating length of the guitar string.
Question 13:

What is the name given to the sound produced by irregular vibrations?

ANSWER:

The sound produced by irregular vibrations is called noise.

Question 14:

The vibrations in air are picked up by the __________ ear.

ANSWER:

The vibrations in air are picked up by the outer ear.

Question 15:

What travels faster−light or sound?

ANSWER:

Light travels faster than sound.

Question 16:

The two kinds of sound that we cannot hear are __________ and __________.
ANSWER:

The two kinds of sound that we cannot hear are infrasonic and ultrasonic.
Question 17:

A soft board will ___________ (reflect/absorb) most of the sound falling on it.
ANSWER:

A soft board will absorb most of the sound falling on it.

Question 18:

What is the unit in which loudness of sound is measured?

ANSWER:

Loudness of sound is measured in decibel (dB).

Question 19:

Prolonged exposure to noise louder than __________ dB can lead to permanent hearing
damage.
ANSWER:

Prolonged exposure to noise louder than 70 dB can lead to permanent hearing damage.

Question 20:Which surfaces reflect sound better−hard or soft?

ANSWER: Hard surfaces reflect sound better than soft surfaces.

C.SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS (TYPE 1)

Question 1:

How is sound produced?

ANSWER:

Sound is produced by vibration. For example, when a guitar string is plucked, sound is produced
due to vibrations produced in the string
Question 2:

Distinguish between infrasonics and ultrasonics.

ANSWER:

Infrasonics Ultrasonics
Sound waves with frequency less Sound waves with frequency greater
than 20 Hz are called infrasonics. than 20000 Hz are called ultrasonics.

Question 3:

What do you mean by time period of a vibrating object?

ANSWER:

The time taken by an object to complete one oscillation is called time period of the vibrating
object. S.I unit of time period is Second.
Question 4:

What is the 'amplitude' of a vibrating object?

ANSWER:

Amplitude is the distance covered by a vibrating object from its mean/zero position.S.I unit of
amplitude is meter(m).
Question 5:

What is the 'frequency' of a vibrating object? How is it related to shrillness of sound?

ANSWER:

Number of oscillations completed by a vibrating object per second is called frequency.

Shrillness of sound is directly dependent on frequency. Higher the frequency of vibration more
is the shrillness of sound.S.I unit Hertz(Hz).

Question 6:

Why do women have shriller voices than men?

ANSWER: Women have shorter vocal cords (about 15 mm long) than men (about 20 mm
long).Children have very short vocal cords. That is why the frequency of sound produced by
women and children is of higher frequency than sound produced by men.
D.SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS (TYPE 2)

Question 1:

How does loudness of sound depend on amplitude? If the amplitude is tripled, by how much
does loudness increase?

ANSWER:Loudness of sound is proportional to the square of amplitude.

If the amplitude is tripled, the loudness increases by nine times.

Question 2:

Ramesh measured the time gap between lightning and thunder to be 3 seconds. Assuming light
covers the distance instantly, what is the distance of the clouds from Ramesh?
ANSWER:

As light covers the distance instantly, the time gap is the time taken by sound to reach Ramesh
from its point of origin.
Now, speed of sound in air = 340 m/s
Time gap = time taken to travel = 3 s
Distance between Ramesh and the clouds = (340 m/s) ×× (3 s)
= 1020 m.
Question 3:

Why can an echo not be heard if you stand 10 m away from a wall and shout facing it?
ANSWER:

We cannot hear the echo because the time difference between the original sound and reflected
sound will be less than 1/10th of a second. So, we are not able to distinguish between the two
sounds.

Question 4:

How is sound produced in our throat?

ANSWER:

Sound, in our throat is produced in the larynx by the vibration of two vocal cords when air
passes through the opening between the vocal cords.

Question 5:

Name the three types of musical instruments. How is sound produced in each type?
ANSWER:

The three types of musical instruments are:

1. Stringed instruments: They produce sounds using vibrations generated in metal wires
fixed at both ends. For example: guitar.
2. Wind instruments: They produce sounds using vibrations in an air column trapped in a
hollow structure. For example: flute.
3. Percussion instruments: They produce sounds using vibrations in a stretched membrane
to produce sound. For example: drum.

Question 6:

What do you mean by noise pollution? What are the main causes of noise pollution?
ANSWER:

Any sound produced by irregular vibrations is called noise. Too much noise in our surroundings
is harmful to us and is called noise pollution. Loud music, traffic on roads, machines in factories,
mixers and grinders, etc. are major causes of noise pollution.

Question 7:

List four ill effects of noise pollution.

ANSWER:

Four ill effects of noise pollution are:

 1. Exposure to sudden high noise level (e.g. explosion) can cause permanent hearing loss
due to rupture of the ear drum.
2. Prolonged exposure to noise of volume higher than 70 dB can cause permanent hearing
loss.
3. High noise can lead to nervous tension and increase in blood pressure.
4. Noise pollution can lead to sleep deprivation and headaches.

Question 8:

List three methods of controlling noise pollution.

ANSWER:

Three methods of controlling noise pollution are:

1. Reducing noise emissions by developing low-noise products, such as better silencers for
automobiles.
2. Controlling recreational noise, such as those of loudspeakers.
3. Making screens or enclosures around machinery to obstruct the path of noise.

E.LONG-ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Question 1:

Explain quality of sound. How is it determined?

ANSWER:

Quality of sound is the characteristic that allows us to distinguish sounds from two different
sources even though the sound produced by them has same frequency and loudness. This
happens because with every single frequency, called fundamental frequency, many other
frequencies, known as harmonics, are also generated with differing loudness.

The quality of sound is determined by the frequencies present in it and their relative loudness.
Question 2:

Explain how sound produced by a vibrating object reaches your ears. What happens after it
enters the ears?
ANSWER:

A vibrating object causes air molecules to vibrate. When these vibrations reach our ears, they
are collected by the pinnae and funnelled into the ear tube. These vibrations strike the
eardrum, which starts to vibrate at the same frequency. This causes the delicate bones of the
middle ear to vibrate. This stimulates tiny hair in the hearing organ that sends a signal to the
auditory nerve of our nervous system. The auditory nerve takes the signal to the brain and we
can hear the sound.
Question 3:

Describe an experiment to show that sound can travel through liquids.

ANSWER:

Hold a bell in one hand and dip it in water. Now bend till your ear touches the surface of water
(caution: water should not enter the ear). On ringing the bell you will hear a clear sound. This
shows that sound can travel in liquids.
Question 4:

Describe an experiment to show that sound cannot travel through vacuum.

ANSWER:

Take a container with a tightly held lid. Make a hole at the bottom of the container. Now,
connect a vacuum pump to this hole with a rubber tube. Make sure that there is no gap
between hole and tube. The vacuum pump is used to extract air from the container.
Put a cell phone inside the container and close it with the lid. Now call the number of the cell
phone so that it rings. We can hear the sound clearly. Extract the air from the container by
switching on the vacuum pump. Again, call the number of the cell phone. This time no sound is
heard because there is no air (medium) to help the propagation of sound. This experiment
shows that sound cannot travel through vacuum. Draw fig 13.8 from living science book

HOTS QUESTIONS:

Question 1:

An explosion occurs on moon. Will it be

(a) seen
(b) heard on earth instantly or after some time?
ANSWER:

(a) It will be seen instantly on earth, as light travels at a great speed of 300000000 m/s.

(b) It will not be heard on earth, as sound needs a medium to travel and there is no medium
between the moon and earth.
Question 2:

In a game of hide-and-seek, how can the blindfolded person guess which player is closest to
him?
ANSWER:

In a game of hide-and-seek, the blindfolded person guesses the player closest to him by
following the sound generated by the movement and speech of the closest player.

NCERT EXERCISE
Question 1.
Choose the correct answer.
Sound can travel through
(a) gases only
(b) solids only
(c) liquids only
(d) solids, liquids, and gases
Answer:
(d) solids, liquids, and gases.

Question 2.
Voice of which of the following is likely to have a minimum frequency?
(a) Baby girl
(b) Baby boy
(c) A man
(d) A woman
Answer:
(c) A man

Question 3.
In the following statements, tick ‘T’ against those which are true and ‘F’ against those which are
false.

1. Sound cannot travel in a vacuum.

2. The number of oscillations per second of a vibrating object is called its time period.
3. If the amplitude of vibration is large, the sound is feeble.
4. For human ears, the audible range is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
5. The lower the frequency of vibration, the higher is the pitch.
6. Unwanted or unpleasant sound is termed as music.
7. Noise pollution may cause partial hearing impairment.

Answer:
 1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. True

Question 4.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

1. Time taken by an object to complete one oscillation is called _______

2. Loudness is determined by the ________ of vibration.
3. The unit of frequency is ________
4. Unwanted sound is called _______
5. The shrillness of a sound is determined by the ______ of vibration.

Answer:

1. Time period
2. Amplitude
3. Hertz (Hz)
4. Noise
5. Frequency

Question 5.
A pendulum oscillates 40 times in 4 seconds. Find its time period and frequency.
Answer:
No. of oscillation = 40
Total time is taken = 4 seconds
Question 6.
The sound from a mosquito is produced when it vibrates its wings at an average rate of 500
vibrations per second. What is the time period of the vibration?
Answer:
Number of vibrations per second = 500

Question 7.
Identify the part which vibrates to produce sound in the following instruments.

1. Dholak
2. Sitar
3. Flute

Answer:

1. Stretched membrane
2. String of sitar
3. Air column

Question 8.
What is the difference between noise and music? Can music become noise sometimes?
Answer:
The type of sound which are unpleasant to listen is known as noise whereas music is a pleasant
sound, which produces a sensation.
Yes, music can become noise when it’s too loud.

Question 9.
List the sources of noise pollution in your surroundings.
Answer:
Following are the major sources of noise pollution:

 Sound of vehicles
 Sound of kitchen appliances
 Sound of bursting crackers
 Sound of loudspeakers, TV, transistors

Question 10.
Explain in what way noise pollution is harmful to humans.
Answer:
Noise pollution causes:
(a) Lack of sleep
(b) Anxiety
(c) Hypertension
and these are harmful to health.

Question 11.
Your parents are going to buy a house. They have been offered one on the roadside and
another three lanes away from the roadside. Which house would you suggest your parents
should buy? Explain your answer.
Answer:
I would suggest my parents buy a house three lanes away from the roadside because house on
the roadside would be much noisy in both days and night due to running vehicles. Whereas, a
house three lanes away would be comparatively quieter as the intensity of noise decreases with
the distance between the source and the listener.

Question 12.
Sketch larynx and explain its function in your own words.
Answer:
Larynx is also known as voice box. It is at the upper end of the windpipe. Two vocal cords are
stretched across the voice box or larynx in such a way that it leaves a narrow slit between them
for passage of air (Fig. 13.12). When lung force air through the slit, the vocal cords vibrate,
producing sound. Muscles attached to the vocal cords can make the cords tight or loose.

When the vocal cords are tight and thin, the type or quality of voice is different from that when
they are loose and thick.

Question 13.
Lightning and thunder take place in the sky at the same time and at the same distance from us.
Lightning is seen earlier and thunder is heard later. Can you explain why?
Answer:
The speed of light is more than that of the speed of sound. Thus, due to more speed of light it
reaches us before sound. So, lightning is seen earlier and thunder is heard later.