Ech de Schröndinger.

PRESIDENTS OFFICE
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ST.MARIE EUGENIE GIRLS, DON BOSCO AND SANGITI SECONDARY SCHOOLS
FORM FOUR-SERIES 02 EXAMINATION
SOUND WAVES
031 PHYSICS 1
Time: 2:30Hours 25th FEB 2025

Instructions
1. This paper consists of three sections A, B and C with a total of eleven (11)

Questions.

2. Answer ALL questions in section A and B, and two (2) questions from section

C.

3. Section A carries fifteen (16) marks, section B fifty four (54) marks and section

C carries thirty (30) marks.

4. Cellular phones are not allowed in the examination room.

5. Non-programmable calculators and mathematical table may be used.

6. Write your Admission number on every page of answer booklet(s).

7. Speed of sound in water = 1460 m/s.

8. Speed of sound in air is 330m/s,

9. Speed of sound in the metal rail is 5280m/s,

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SECTION A (16 Marks)

Answer all questions in this section.

1. For each of the items (i) – (x), choose the correct answer from among the given
Alternatives.

(i) Pitch of sound depends on;

A. Frequency. B. Wavelength.
C. Amplitude D. Speed E. Echo

(ii) Sound waves of wavelength greater than that audible sound are called;

A. Ultra-sonic wave B. Sonic wave

C. Seismic wave D. Infrasonic waves. E. Reverberation.

(iii) The waves moving from a sitar to a listener in air are:

A. Longitudinal stationary B. Transverse progressive

C. Transverse stationary D. Longitudinal progressive.
E. Sound progressive.

(iv) The bending of beam of light around corners of obstacles is called:

A. Reflection. B. Diffraction.
C. Refraction. D. Interference. E. Polarization.
(v) The speed of a wave in a medium is 760 m/s. If 3600 waves are passing through a
point in the medium in 2 minutes, then its wavelength is:

A. 13.8 m B. 25.3 m C. 41.5 m D. 57.2 m E. 0.42 m.

(vi) The following are properties of electromagnetic waves except:

A. They are produced by accelerated or oscillating charges

B. They are not require material medium for their propagation.
C. They are travel with high constant speed of 3 × 108m/s in a space
D. They are formed of a series of compressions and rarefactions.
E. Electromagnetic waves are transverse in nature.

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(vii) If a vibrating body is to be in resonance with another body, it must.

A. Have a natural frequency close to the natural frequency of the other body.
B. Be of the same material as the other body.
C. Vibrate with the greatest possible amplitude.
D. Vibrate faster than usual.
E. Vibrate more slowly than usual.

(viii) In which media would sound waves travel fastest?

A. A vacuum B. Air C. Water D. Iron E. Oxygen gas.

(ix) A wave travels on a string of length L, linear density μ, and tension T.

Which of the following is true?

A. The wave speed is inversely proportional to the tension T

B. The wave speed is directly proportional the linear density μ
C. The wave speed increases with increasing tension T.
D. The wave speed increases with increasing linear density.
E. The wave speed only depends on the length of the string.

(x) A turning fork of frequency 256 Hz will resonate with frequency:

A. 128 Hz B. 256 Hz C. 384 Hz D. 512 Hz.

2. Match the item in LIST A with responses LIST B by writing the letter of
the correct response beside the item number in the answer booklet provided.

LIST A LIST B
(i) Can be used to sterilize fruits and vegetable. A. Visible light.
(ii) Stimulates the production of vitamin.in the human skin. B. X-rays.
(iii) Stimulates the sensitive cells in the retina. C. Microwaves.
(iv) Emitted by a remote control. D. Alpha particles.
(v) Used for rapid cooking in an oven. E. Gamma rays.
(vi) They are used in Bluetooth connectivity. F. Infra-red rays.
G. Radio waves.
H. Ultra-violet rays.

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SECTION B (54 Marks)
Answer ALL questions in this section

3. (a) Student carried out an experiment to measure the speed of sound in air very early in the
morning and found the speed to be 320 m/s. She repeated the same experiment at noon and
found the speed to be 335 m/s. Give a possible explanation for the differences. (4 marks)

(b) A fathometer produces sound in a ship and receives two echoes’ where there is a raised sea
bed one after 2.5 seconds and the other after 3.0 seconds. Find the height of the raised sea bed.
(5 marks)
4. (a) Matter expands when heated and contracts when cooled. Explain why a musician must
re – tune a stringed instrument if its temperature changes. (2 marks)

(b) A student stands between two halls and 400m from the nearest hall. The halls are x metres
apart. Every time the student claps, two echoes are heard by the student such that the first echo
comes after 2.5 seconds while the second follows 2 seconds later. From this information
determine;
(i) The speed of sound in air. (3 marks)

(ii) The value of x. (4 marks)

5. (a) Consider the diagram below

An observer moving along the line AB hears loud sound at some point and soft sound at other
points. How can you explain this statements. (4.5 marks)

(b) Explain briefly why sound produced in hall with many people is heard more clearly than
when the hall has few people? (4.5 marks)

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6. (a) Explain why you can predict the arrival of a train by placing your ear on the rails without
seeing it. (4 marks)

(b) The vibrating length of a stretched wire is altered at constant tension until the wire.
Oscillates in unison with a turning fork of frequency 320 Hz. The length of the wire is again
altered until it oscillates in unison with a fork of unknown frequency. If the two lengths are 90
cm and 60 cm, respectively, determine the unknown frequency. (5 marks)

7. (a) The figure below shows two turning forks A and B of the same frequency mounted on
separate sound boxes with their open ends facing each other. The fork A is set into vibration.

Describe your observation. (4 marks)

(b) A turning fork of frequency 256 Hz is sounded at the mouth of a tube closed at one end
with a movable. It is found that resonance occurs when the column of air is 15 cm long and
again when the column is 80 cm long. Determine the velocity of sound in air. (5 marks)

8. (a) Guitar have strings of varying thickness. Which of the strings, (thickest or thinnest)
produces the highest frequency of musical notes? Explain your answer. (3 marks)

(b) An open organ has a length of 6m. If the speed of sound in air is 340m/s and neglecting the
end corrections, what is the frequency of its.

(i) Overtone. (2 marks)

(ii) Fifth harmonic. (2 marks)

(iii) Tenth Overtone. (2 marks)

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SECTION C (30 marks)
Answer only two (2) questions.

9. (a) A supernova is an explosion of a star that briefly outshines and entire galaxy, radiating as
much energy as the Sun or any ordinary star is expected to emit over its entire life span.Before
fading from view over several weeks or months. An astronaut in space will be able to see the
explosion happen, but the astronaut will never be able to hear it, despite how large and violent
the explosion would be. How can you explain this statement. (4 marks)

(b) Explain why sound is easily heard at night than during day time. (4 marks)

(c) In a closed pipe, the first resonance is at 23cm and second at 73cm. determines the wave
length of the sound and the end correction of pipe. (7 marks)

10. (a) What adjustments would you make for tuning a stringed instrument for it to emit a note of
desired frequency? (3 marks)

(b) (i) The diagram below shows a student standing midway between a bell tower and a steep
mountainside. The bell rings once, but the student hears two rings separated by a short time
interval.

Explain why the student hears two rings. (3 marks)

(ii) Suppose you and your friend are on the Moon. Will you be able to hear any sound produced
by your friend? Explain your answer. (3 marks)

(c) Determine the ratio of velocities of sound produced in dry air at 420C to another at 600
(6 marks)

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11. (a) We hear sound of an approaching car before the car reaches us. How can you explain this
statement? (3 marks)

(b) A string has length of 75cm and mass of 8.2g. The tension in the string is 18N. What are the
frequencies of the first and third harmonics? (6 marks)

(c) Two men stand a distance apart besides a long metal rail on a sill day. One man places his
ear against the rail while the other gives the rail a sharp knock with a hammer. Two sounds
separated by a time interval of 0.5s, are heard by the first man.Determine the distance between
the men. (6 marks)

“Student is not a container you have to fill but

a torch you have to light up”

Sir Ech
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