Sound needs a material medium to travel and therefore sound waves are called mechanical waves or elastic waves

Speed of sound is in the following order: solid > liquid > gas.
The characteristics of sound are (a) Pitch, (b) Loudness, (c) Quality (Timbre).
Audible range of sound for humans is from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
Reflection of sound follows the same laws as reflection of light.
Echo isthe repetition of sound due to reflection of sound waves.
The multiple reflections of sound from the wals,ceiling, floor of ahall is called reverberation.
Oltrasound waves have frequency greater than 20,000 Hz. Ultrasound waves have good directionality and
high power due to which they have anumber of medical and industrial applications.
SONAR is used to locate undersea objects.
Human ear amplifies the sound received by it, and sends nerve impulses to the brain.

NCERT File with Answers & Hints

In-Text Questions
1. How does sound produced by a vibrating object 6. Guess which has higher pitch : a guitar or a car
on a medium reach your ear? horn?
Ans. Sound is produced by vibrating object. Due to Ans. A guitar has a higher pitch than a car horn.
the vibration, compressions and rarefaction are
produced in air which propagate further in the air 7. What are wavelength, frequency, timeperiod and
(medium) and reach our year. amplitude of sound wave? (C.B.S.E. 2012)
2. Explain how sound is produced by your school Ans. 1. Wavelength [() Pronounced lambda]: The
bell. (C.B.S.E. 2011) distance between two consecutive crests or troughs
is called the wavelength of a
Ans. When the school bell is hit by a hammer, it starts transverse wave.
vibrating. These vibrations produce compressions 2. Frequency [(v) Pronounced nu]:The
andrarefactions in the air (medium) and the sound
number of
waves passing through a point of the medium in
propagates. one second is called
3. Time Period (T): frequency
of the wave.
3. Why are sound waves called mechanical waves? The time taken by a wave to
(C.B.S.E. 2012) travel a distance equal to its
Ans. This is because sound waves need material medium time period of the wave. wavelength is called
to propagate. 4. Amplitude : The
maximum displacement of a
particle of the medium
4. Suppose you and your friend are on the moon.
Will you be able to hear any sound produced by called the amplitude. from its mean position is
your friend? 8
How are the
No. This is because sound needs a material medium wavelength and
velocity?frequency
Ans. sound wave related to its of a
to travel and there is no atmosphere on moon. Ans. Velocity wavelength x
5. Which wave property determines (a) loudness
(b) pitch? (C.B.S.E. 2012)
9.
Calcuiate the wavelengthfrequency.
ofa sound wave
of wave determines the loudness frequency is 220 Hz and
speed is 440 mswhose
Ans. The amplitudepitch of wave is determined by the Ans.
given medium in a
of wave. The Given
vibrating object V=
frequency of vibration of the We know that 220 Hz, v= 440 ms
which produces sound.
440
= 2 mn
220
sOUND 6/17

Aperson
is listening to a tone of 500 Hz sitting
10. the
af a distance of 450 m from the source of
sound. What is the time interval between
emccessive compressions from the source ?
(C.B.S.E. 2011)
Given V = 500 Hz
Ans.
1
We know that v T Ans. Speed = Distance
Time
T =1 1 342 =
2x
500 3
X = 513 m.
This is the time period between two successive
14. Why are ceilings of concert halls curved ?
compressions. This has nothing to do with the Ans. The ceilings of concert halls are curved so
distance of the listener.
sound reaches all regions of the hall with justthat
the
11. Distinguish between loudness and intensity of required amount of intensity.
sound. (C.B.S.E. 2013) 15. What is the audible range of the
Ans. L=klog I ear?
average human
Ans.
(C.B.S.E. 2015)
where L= loudness, k=Proportionality constant, 20 Hz to 20000 Hz.
I= Intensity of sound. 16. What is the range of frequencies associated with
(a) infrasound (b) ultrasound?
Loudness is the perception of the sound by human Ans. For infrasound < 20 Hz
(C.B.S.E. 2013)
ear.

12. In which of the three media : air, water or For ultrasound > 20,000 Hz
17. A submarine emits a sonar pulse which returns
iron; does sound travel fastest at a particular from an underwater cliff in 1.02 s. If the speed of
temperature? sound in salt water is 1531 m/s, how far away is
Ans. Sound travels fastest in a solid medium. the clif?
Therefore
the answer is iron.
13. An echo returned in 3 s. What is the distance of
Ans.
Speed = Distance
Time
the reflecting surface from the source given that 2
speed of sound is 342 ms-1? 1531
(C.B.S.E. 2011) 1.02
X = 780.81 m.

TextbookExercises
What is sound and how is it produced ? Ans. Sound is called longitudinal wave because the
(C.B.S.E. 2012) vibration of the particle of medium is along the
Ans. Sound is aform energy which is produced by
of direction of propagation of sound wave.
2. vibrating bodies. 5. Which characteristic of the sound helps you to
Describe with the help of a diagram, how identify your friend by his voice while sitting
cOmpressions and rarefactions are produced in with others in a dark room ? (C.B.S.E. 2014)
ar nearasource of sound.
Ans, Refer
article 4
Give an experiment to show that sound needs a
Ans. Quality of sound (Refer article 9).
produced
6. Lightning and thunder are

material medium for its propagation. simultaneously. But thunder is heard a few
(C.B.S.E. 2010) seconds after the flash is seen. Why?
Ans. Refer (C.B.S.E. 2013)
article 6.
Why is sound wave called a than the velocity of
longitudinal wave? Ans. Velocity of light is much higher
(C.B.S.E. 2012) sound.
 13. A stone is dropped from the top of a tower S00
7. Humans hayve a hearing range from 20 Hz to of water attthe base of the
into a pond
20 kHz. What are the typical wavelengths of When is the splash heard att the top? Given,tower.
high g- 10
sound waves in air corresponding to these two s-1
frequencies ? Take the speed of sound in air as ms² andspeed of sound = 340 m
344 m s1,
from A to B
(C.B.S.E. 2010)
344
Ans. Falling of stone
Ans. =17.2 m
V 20
u=0
344 S= 50Om
=0.0172 m
V2 20,000 t=t,
8. Two children are at opposite ends of an g= 10ms-2
aluminium rod. One strikes the end of the rod
with a stone. Find the ratio of times taken by
the sound wave in air and in aluminium to
u = 0
reach the second child. Velocity of sound in
air and aluminium is 346 mn s and 6420 m s 1
S= ut +
respectively. (C.B.S.E. 2013)

Ans. Distance (Length of rod) 1, xt?

500 = 0 +x10
T,
a= air ..(1) t= 10s

VAI = Distance (Length of rod) When the stone strikes the surface of the pond. a
TI splash is produced. The sound now travels from B
Al = Aluminium ...(2) to A.
Dividing (1) by (2), Displacement
Velocity of sound Time
Va TAI 346 500
340 =
VAI T 6420
Time
500
6420 Time = =1.47 s
= 18.55 340
TI 346
9. The frequency of a source of sound is 100 Hz. Total time = 10+ 1.47 =11.47s
How many times does it vibrate in a minute? 14. A sound wave travels at a speed of 339 m s. If its
(C.B.S.E. 2012)
wavelength is 1.5 cm, what is the frequency of the
Ans. Frequency =100 x 60 =6000Hz wave? Will it be audible? (C.B.S.E. 2011)

10. Does sound follow the same laws of reflection as 339

Ans. = 22,600 Hz
light does? Explain. 0.015
It will not be audible.
Ans. Yes. Refer article 11.
15. What is reverberation? How can it be reduced?
11. When a sound is reflected from a distant object, (C.B.S.E. 2014)
an echo is produced. Let the distance between
the reflecting surface and the source of sound Ans. The multiple reflections of sound from the wals,
production remain the same. Can you hear an ceiling, floor of a hall is called reverberation
echo on a hot day? (Goonj) and the time taken for the sound to fade is
called reverberation time.
Ans. Ona really hot day, sound travels faster. Therefore, Certain materials (like rough plaster, draperies)
it may reach your ear before th of a second. In
which absorb sound are used at appropriate places
10 so that undesirable reflections are avoided.
that case, echo will not be heard. l6. What is loudness of sound ? What factors does it
depend on? (C.B.S.E. 2010)
12. Give two practical applications of reflection of Ans. Loudness of sound is a subjective term which
sound waves. (C.B.S.E. 2010) discribes the ear's perception of the intensity of
Ans. Stethoscope, Megaphone. sound. It depends on the amplitude of sound
waves and sensitivity of ear.
SOUND
6/19
17. Explain how bats use ultrasound to catch their
(C.B.S.E. 2011, 2013) d=
prey. emit high-pitch 2
Ans. Bats
ultrasonic sounds which
after striking the prey Sonar is used to determine the depth of sea
and to
reflects back to ear. Bats locate submarines iceberg or sunkenship etc.
have an in-built mechanism 20. A sonar device on a submarine sends a
out
by which they can detect and receives an echo 5 s later. Calculate the signal
the distance of prey. of sound in water if the speed
used distance of the object
18. How is ultrasound from the submarine is 3625 m.
forcleaning? 2x 2x 3625
Ans. Ifan object has hard-to-reach places where grease Ans. v= =
= 1450 ms.
5
or dirt particles have to be removed, then we can
11se ultrasonic waves. The object is dipped in a 21. Explain how defects in a metal block can be
cleaning solution. Now ultrasonic waves are sent detected using ultrasound. (C.B.S.E. 2013)
into the solution which causes the dirt or grease Ans. When ultrasonic waves are sent in the metal block,
particles to vibrate vigorously because of which the waves get partly reflected from a crack and
these particles leave the object. therefore the intensity of emerging wave from the
19. Explain the working and application of a sonar. block is less in the portion of crack. detectors
wave
Ultrasound
Ans. Ultrasonic waves of high frequency are sent from
aship on the surface. These waves travel in a
straight line till they hit a body like a shipwreck Crack
or submarine fromn where these waves are reflected
back as shown in the figure. The transmitter
sending the waves notes the time interval ' Emerging waves
between sending the signal and receiving it back. 22. Explain how the human ear works. (C.B.S.E. 2010)
Ifd is the distance of the submarine from the ship,
then the total distance travelled by the wave in Ans. Each part has a specific task to perform The outer
time interval t is 2d. ear, collects and amplifies the sound and guides it
to the middle ear. In the middle ear sound energy
Distance is converted into mechanical energy in the form of
Using Speed =
Time internal vibrations of the bone structure and the
2d sound is further amplified. These vibrations are
V = then transferred into the inner ear which converts
the vibrations into nerve impulses.