CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Name ___________________________________ Date _____________

Worksheet 2.2A
Volume and pitch
Faruk and Ali used a sound level meter to measure the volume of different sounds.
They held the sound level meter exactly the same distance away from each source of sound.
These are their measurements of the volume of each sound:
Clapping hands: 75dB
Blowing a whistle: 80dB
Slamming a door shut: 90dB
Class talking: 65dB

1 What does dB stand for?

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2 What was the control variable in their investigation (the variable that remained the same)?
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3 What was the independent variable in their investigation (the variable that changed)?
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4 Record the results in the table below from quietest to loudest.

Sound Volume in dB

Cambridge Primary Science 5 – Fiona Baxter & Liz Dilley © Cambridge University Press 2021 1
 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Name ___________________________________ Date _____________

Worksheet 2.2B
Volume and pitch
Faruk and Ali used a sound level meter to measure the volume of different sounds.
They held the sound level meter exactly the same distance away from each source of sound.
These are their measurements of the volume of each sound:
Clapping hands: 75dB
Blowing a whistle: 80dB
Slamming a door shut: 90dB
Class talking: 65dB

1 Identify the control, the independent and the dependent variables in this investigation.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

2 Describe one way in which the boys could make the test fair.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

3 Record the results by completing the bar chart below.

Cambridge Primary Science 5 – Fiona Baxter & Liz Dilley © Cambridge University Press 2021 2
 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Name ___________________________________ Date _____________

Worksheet 2.2C
Volume and pitch
Faruk and Ali used a sound level meter to measure the volume of different sounds.
They held the sound level meter exactly the same distance away from each source of sound.
These are their measurements of the volume of each sound:
Clapping hands: 75dB
Blowing a whistle: 80dB
Slamming a door shut: 90dB
Class talking: 65dB

1 Identify the control, the independent and the dependent variables in this investigation.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

2 Describe two ways in which the boys could make the test fair.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

3 How could the boys get more accurate results?

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 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

4 Record the results in a bar chart.

Cambridge Primary Science 5 – Fiona Baxter & Liz Dilley © Cambridge University Press 2021 4
 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Name ___________________________________ Date _____________

Worksheet 2.3
Changing the volume of sound
In this worksheet you will make and test a stethoscope and explain how it works.
A doctor or nurse uses a stethoscope to listen to sounds inside your body. They put the
earpieces in their ears and press the flat disc on to your body. Sounds from inside your
body travel through the stethoscope to their ears. There is an amplifier in the stethoscope
to make the sounds louder.

1 Use your knowledge to design and make your own stethoscope with no electronic parts.

You will need: two 15 × 15 cm squares of thin card, sticky tape, scissors,
1 m of thin rubber or plastic tubing

2 Draw your stethoscope in the space below.

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 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

3 Think of ways to test your stethoscope. Try out what you have thought of.
Does your stethoscope work?

4 Explain how your stethoscope makes sounds louder.

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

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 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Help sheet
• Follow these steps to make your stethoscope.

• Cut the squares to make quarter circles.

• Roll each quarter circle into a cone shape and stick the edges together with sticky tape.

• Cut a small hole into the point of each cone. Insert the tubing through the holes
so that it joins the two cones. Place one cone on your ear and the other cone on
the surface you are listening to.

• For question 4, use these words in your answer: sound, vibrations, trap, louder.

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 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Stretch sheet
5 Find out what a doctor uses a stethoscope for.
How does a stethoscope help a doctor to find out what is wrong with their patients?

Cambridge Primary Science 5 – Fiona Baxter & Liz Dilley © Cambridge University Press 2021 8
 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Name ___________________________________ Date _____________

Worksheet 2.4A
Changing the pitch of sounds
You will need: a long elastic band, a short elastic band, a thin elastic band, a thick elastic band
Follow these steps to carry out an investigation about pitch.
• Hook one end of the long elastic band over a door handle.
• Pull the other end of the elastic band towards you until it is stretched tight.
• Pluck the elastic band. Listen to the sound it makes.
• Stretch the elastic band less tightly and pluck it again. Listen to the sound it makes.
• Repeat the four steps above for the short elastic band, thin elastic band and thick elastic band.

1 Underline the correct words to complete these sentences.

a Sounds are higher-pitched/lower-pitched when the elastic band is stretched tightly.

b Sounds are higher-pitched/lower-pitched when the elastic band is long.

c Sounds are higher-pitched/lower-pitched when the elastic band is thin.

d Sounds are higher-pitched/lower-pitched when the elastic band is short.

e Sounds are higher-pitched/lower-pitched when the elastic band is thick.

f Sounds are higher-pitched/lower-pitched when the elastic band is not stretched tightly.

Cambridge Primary Science 5 – Fiona Baxter & Liz Dilley © Cambridge University Press 2021 9
 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Name ___________________________________ Date _____________

Worksheet 2.4B
Changing the pitch of sounds
You will need: a long elastic band, a short elastic band, a thin elastic band, a thick elastic band
Follow these steps to carry out an investigation about pitch.
• Hook one end of the long elastic band over a door handle.
• Pull the other end of the elastic band towards you until it is stretched tight.
• Pluck the elastic band. Listen to the sound it makes.
• Stretch the elastic band less tightly and pluck it again. Listen to the sound it makes.
• Repeat the four steps above for the short elastic band, thin elastic band and thick elastic band.

1 Record your observations by completing this table.

Elastic band Tight or loose? Higher or lower pitch?

Tight
Long
Loose
Tight
Short
Loose
Tight
Thin
Loose
Tight
Thick
Loose

Cambridge Primary Science 5 – Fiona Baxter & Liz Dilley © Cambridge University Press 2021 10
 CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 5 UNIT 2: SOUND

Name ___________________________________ Date _____________

Worksheet 2.4C
Changing the pitch of sounds
You will need: a long elastic band, a short elastic band, a thin elastic band, a thick elastic band.
Follow these steps to carry out an investigation about pitch.
• Hook one end of the long elastic band over a door handle.
• Pull the other end of the elastic band towards you until it is stretched tight.
• Pluck the elastic band. Listen to the sound it makes.
• Stretch the elastic band less tightly and pluck it again. Listen to the sound it makes.
• Repeat the four steps above for the short elastic band, thin elastic band and thick elastic band.

1 a Compare the pitch of a note from a thin elastic band and a thick elastic band when you stretch
each band by the same amount.
______________________________________________________________________________

b Explain why there is a difference in the pitch of the sound.

______________________________________________________________________________

2 a Compare the pitch of a note from a long elastic band and a short elastic band when the bands
are the same thickness.
______________________________________________________________________________

b Explain why there is a difference in the pitch of the sound.

______________________________________________________________________________

3 a Compare the pitch of a note from a tightly stretched elastic band and a loosely
stretched elastic band when the bands are the same length and thickness to begin with.
______________________________________________________________________________

b Explain why there is a difference in the pitch of the sound.

______________________________________________________________________________

Cambridge Primary Science 5 – Fiona Baxter & Liz Dilley © Cambridge University Press 2021 11