M.H.

PATEL GROUP TUITION

STD: 9 CH : 12 SOUND

Question 1. How does the sound produced by a vibrating object in a medium reach your
ear?
Answer: Air is the commonest material through which sound propagates. When vibrating
objects, like prongs of a tuning fork move forward, they push the molecules of the air in front of
them. This in turn compresses the air, thus creating a region of high pressure and high density
called compression. This compression in the air travels forward. When the prongs of the tuning
fork move backward, they create a region of low pressure in the air, commonly called rarefaction.
This region has low pressure, low density, and more volume. As the tuning fork continues to
vibrate, the regions of compression in the air alternate with the regions of rarefaction. These
regions alternate at the same place. The energy of vibrating tuning fork travels outward. This
energy which reaches the ears, makes the eardrums to vibrate and thus we hear sound

Question 2 Explain how sound is produced by your school bell.

Answer: Air is the commonest material through which sound propagates. When school bell is
rung, it pushes the molecules of the air in front of it. This in turn compresses the air, thus
creating a region of high pressure and high density called compression. This compression in the
air travels forward. When the bell moves back, it creates a region of low pressure in the air,
commonly called rarefaction. This region has low pressure, low density, and more volume. As
the bell continues to vibrate, the regions Of compression in the air alternate with the regions of
rarefaction. These regions alternate at the same place. The energy of vibrating bell travels
outward. This energy which reaches the ears, makes the eardrums to vibrate and thus we hear
sound.

Question 3. Why are sound waves called mechanical waves ?

Answer: Some mechanical energy is required to make an object vibrate. Sound energy cannot be
produced on its own. The mechanical energy Of vibrating object travels through a medium and
finally reaches the ear. Therefore, the sound waves are called mechanical waves.

Question 4. Suppose you and your friend are on the moon. Will you be able to hear any-
sound produced by your friend ?
Answer: No, I will not be able to hear sound, because moon has no atmosphere. Therefore, no
sound waves can travel to your ears and, therefore, no sound is heard.

Question 5. Which wave property determines (a) loudness, (b) Pitch ?

Answer: (a) The amplitude of the wave determines the loudness; more the amplitude of a wave,
more is the loudness produced.
(b) The pitch is determined by the frequency of the wave. Higher the frequency of a wave more
is its pitch and shriller is the sound.

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Question 6. Guess which sound has a higher pitch; guitar or car horn ?
Answer: Car horn has a higher pitch than a guitar, because sound produced by the former is
shriller than the latter.

Question 7. What are wavelength, frequency, time period and amplitude of a sound wave ?
Answer: Frequency: The number of compressions or rarefactions taken together passing through
a point in one second is called frequency.
Time Period: It is the time taken by two consecutive compressions or rarefactions to cross a point.
Amplitude: It is the magnitude of maximum displacement of a vibrating particle about its mean
position.

Question 8. How are the wavelength and frequency of a sound wave related to its speed ?
Answer: Speed of sound Frequency x Wavelength

Question 9. Calculate the wavelength of a sound wave whose frequency is 220 Hz and speed
is 440 m s-1 in a given medium.
Answer: Frequency = 220 Hz
Speed of sound = 440 m s-1
We know speed of sound Frequency x Wavelength = 220 x Wavelength
Wavelength = Vϑ = 440220 = 2m

Question 10 . Distinguish between loudness and intensity of sound.

Answer: The loudness depends on energy per unit area of the wave and on the response of the
ear but intensity depends only on the energy per unit area of the wave and is independent of the
response of the ear.

Question 11. In which of the three media, air, water or iron, does sound travel the fastest at
a particular temperature ?
Answer: Sound travels fastest in iron as compared to water and air.
An echo is returned in 3 s. mat is the distance of the reflecting surface from the source, given the
speed of sound is 342 m s-1

Question 12. Why are the ceilings of concert halls curved ?

Answer: The ceilings of concert halls are curved because sound after reflection from it reaches
all the corners of the hall and is audible to each person in the hall.

Question.13.What is the audible range of the average human ear ?

Answer. An average human ear can hear sound waves between frequencies 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

Question 14. What is the range of frequencies associated with (a) Infra sound ? (b)
Ultrasound ?
Answer: (a) Infra sound : Sound waves between the Frequencies 1 and 20 Hz.

( b) Ultrasound : Sound waves of the frequencies above 20,000 Hz.

Question 15. What is sound and how is it produced ?

Answer: Sound is mechanical energy which produces a sensation of hearing. When an Object is
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 set into vibrations, sound is produced.

Question 16. Cite an experiment to show that sound needs a material medium for its
propagation.
Answer: Take an electric circuit which consists of a cell, a switch and an electric bell arranged
inside a bell jar, which stands on the platform of an evacuating pump. The switch of the bell is
pressed to close the electric circuit. When there is air within the bell jar, sound is heard. Air is
now pumped out of the bell jar. When the air is completely removed from the bell jar, no sound
is heard as it is obvious from fig. because the medium of air which has to carry energy from the
bell to the bell jar is removed. It shows that sound needs material medium for its propagation.

Question 17. Why is sound wave called a longitudinal wave ?

Answer: Sound wave is called longitudinal wave because the particles of the medium vibrate in
the direction of the propagation of wave.

Question 18. Which characteristic of the sound helps you to identify your friend by his
voice while sitting with others in a darkroom ?
Answer: The characteristic of sound is quality or timbre.

Question 19. Flash and thunder are produced simultaneously. But thunder is heard a few
seconds after the flash is seen, why ?
Answer: Speed of sound is 330 m/sec in air medium at 0°C. Whereas speed of light is 3 x
108m/sec. When we compare the speed of light with that of speed of sound, speed of light is
greater than that of speed of sound. Therefore thunder is heard a few seconds after the flash is
seen.

Question 20. A person has a hearing range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. What are the typical
wavelengths of sound waves in air corresponding to these two frequencies?
Take the speed of sound in air as 344 ms-1.
Answer:

Question 21. Give two practical applications of reflection of sound waves.

Answer: Reflection of sound is used in megaphones, horns and musical instruments such as
trumpets and shehna. It is used in stethoscope for hearing patient’s heartbeat. Ceilings of the
concert halls are curved, so that sound after reflection reaches all comers of the hall. (Any two
practical applications can be written).

Question 22. What is reverberation? How can it be reduced?

Answer: The persistence of sound in an auditorium is the result of repeated reflections of sound
and is called reverberation.
To reduce the undesirable effects due to reverberation, roofs and walls of the auditorium are

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generally covered with sound absorbent materials like compressed fiberboard, rough plaster or
draperies. The seat materials are also selected having sound absorption properties.

Question 23. What is loudness of sound? What factors does it depend on?
Answer: The loudness of sound is determined by its amplitude. The amplitude of the sound
wave depends upon the force with which an object is made to vibrate. Loud sound can travel a
larger distance as it is associated with higher energy. A sound waves spreads out from its source.
As it moves away from the source its amplitude as well as its loudness decreases.

Question 24. Explain how bats use ultrasound to catch a prey.

Answer: Bats search out its prey by emitting and detecting reflections of ultrasonic waves. The
high-pitched ultrasonic squeaks of bat are reflected from the obstacles or prey and return to bat’s
ear. The nature of reflection tells the bat where the obstacle or prey is and what it is like.

Question 25. How is ultrasound used for cleaning?

Answer: Ultrasound is used to clean parts located in hard-to-reach places (i.e.) spiral tube, odd
shaped parts, electronic components etc. Objects to be cleaned are placed in a cleaning solution
and ultrasonic waves are sent into the solution. Due to the high frequency, the dust particles,
grease get detached and drop out. The objects thus get thoroughly cleaned.

ANSWER IN BRIEF (3 MARKS)

(1) Explain the working and application of a Sonar.
Ans : Working: SONAR Consists of a transmitter and a detector and is installed in a boat or a
ship as shown in the fig. The transmitter produces and transmits ultrasonic waves. These waves
travel through water and after striking the object on the seabed, get reflected back and are sensed
by the detector. The detector converts the ultrasonic waves into electrical signals which are
appropriately interpreted. The distance of the object that reflected the sound wave can be
calculated by knowing the speed of sound in water and the time interval between the
transmission and reception of the ultrasound.

Let, Depth of the sea = d

Speed of sound in sea water = ν
Time taken for transmission and reception of signal = t

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 t
∴ Time taken to travel a distake, d = 2
t
∴ Depth of the sea, d = 2 × ν ( distance = speed ´ time)

(2) Give 3 uses of ultrasound.

Ans : Use of ultrasound:
1. Ultrasound is used to detect cracks and flaws in metal blocks.
2. It is used in 'echo-cardiography', the ultrasonic waves are made to reflect from various
parts of the heart and form the image of heat.
3. It is used in 'ultrasonography', to detect the image of organs to detect the abnormalities in
the organs. It is also used to examine the foetus during pregnancy to detect congenital
defects.

(3) Cite an experiment to show that sound needs a material medium for its propagation.
Ans : Experiment to show that sound needs a material medium for its propagation is given
below.

Take an electric bell and an airtight glass bell jar. The electric bell is suspended inside the
airtight bell jar. The bell jar is connected to a vacuum pump, as shown in figure. If you press the
switch, you will be able to hear the bell. Now, start the vacuum pump. When the air in the jar is
pumped out gradually, the sound becomes fainter, although the same current is passing through
the bell. After some time when less air is left inside the bell jar, you will hear a very feeble sound.
On removal of complete air, no sound is heard.

(4) Explain the structure of the human ear with the help of a diagram.

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 Ans :
Outer Ear: Pinna and Auditory tympanic canal, membrane.
Pinna: It collects the sound from the surroundings.
Auditory Canal: The sound waves collected passes through this canal.
Tympanic Membrane: It is a thin membrane which receives the vibrations of sound. A
compression reaches the eardrum, the pressure on the outside of the membrane increases and
pushes the eardrum inward, and moves out when the rarefaction reaches.
Middle Ear: Consists of three small bones called Hammer, anvil and stirrup. The vibrations are
received by these three bones and the strength of vibrations is increased i.e., the sound is
amplified and passed to inner ear.
Inner Ear: It consist of Cochlea and Auditory nerve.
Choclea receives the amplified vibrations and convert them into electrical signals. These
electrical signals are sent to the brain via auditory nerve and the brain interprets the signals as
sound.

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