SOUND

NOTES
1. Define the term : frequency , time period and Amplitude.
a. Frequency: the number of vibrations experienced by the vibrating
body in one second.
Time period : the time taken by the vibrating body to complete one
vibration.
Amplitude : the maximum extent of vibration of a vibrating body from
its mean position ( rest position).
2. What is noise pollution?
a. The presence of excessive noise in our surroundings is known as
noise pollution. The loudness of sound is measured in decibels [dB].
3. Describe the three characteristics of sound.
a. Sound can be characterised by loudness , pitch and quality.
Loudness : loudness depends on the following three factors.
● Amplitude of vibration
● Area of vibrating body
● Distance of listener from source of sound.
Pitch : Pitch denotes the shrillness or flatness of sound. Sounds can
be high pitched or low pitched. The pitch of a sound depends on its frequency. If
the frequency is high , the sound is high pitched; if the frequency is low, the sound
is low pitched.
Quality : The quality of sound is a property by virtue of which two
sounds of the same pitch and loudness can be distinguished. The quality of note
depends on the nature and number of overtones that accompany the
fundamentals.
b. What kind of material can be used in the house to make it more
soundproof?
c. Using sound absorbing materials like curtains, cushions and rugs
inside the home , and planting trees along the roadside helps to
reduce noise.
4. Describe the structure and function of the eardrum.
a. The ear has three parts - the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner
ear.
Outer ear : the outer ear consists of the pinna and the ear canal. The
ear is a tightly stretched membrane called the eardrum. This forms
the boundary between the outer ear and middle ear. When the
vibrations of sound reach the eardrums vibrate.
Middle ear : The middle ear consists of a cavity with three tiny bones
that touch each other. When the eardrum vibrates, these bones also
vibrate and also transmit the vibrations to the inner ear.
Inner ear : The inner ear consists of two parts. The central chamber
and three semicircular canals form the organ of balance. A spiral
coiled tube, which looks like a tiny snail shell, forms the organ of
hearing. When the vibrations reach the inner ear, they stimulate tiny
hairs present in the organ of hearing, which sends signals to the
auditory nerve. The auditory nerve takes the signals to the brain and
we can then hear the sound.
 5. What are the hazards of noise pollution?
a. Conversation becomes difficult if there is too much noise around us.
b. A noisy environment causes headaches and an inability to
concentrate on work.
c. Constant exposure to high pitched noise can cause an increase in
blood pressure, nervous tension and gradual hearing loss.
6. What steps can be taken to reduce the effects of noise pollution?
a. The use of amplifiers in public places should be banned.
b. People such as factory workers, bus and engine drivers and
machines, who have to work in a noisy atmosphere, should use
earplugs.
c. Vehicles should be fitted with more effective silencers.
d. Using sound absorbing materials like curtains, cushions and rugs
inside the home, and planting trees along the roadside, helps to
reduce noise.
7. Describe an experiment to show that sound cannot travel through vacuum.
a. Method : Place a cell phone in an airtight jar. Dial the number of the
phone so that it starts ringing. Pump out the air from the jar using a
vacuum pump.
Observation and conclusion : As more air is removed from the jar, the
sound is heard more faintly. From the activity, you can conclude that
sound cannot travel through vacuum, but can travel through air, that
is , it requires a medium to travel in.
8. If you shout on the moon, will the sound travel faster or slower than it does
on the earth? Why?
a. On earth we hear sound because sound has the medium air to travel
from one point to another. On the moon there is no atmosphere. So,
sound cannot travel from one point to another. So, sound cannot be
heard on the moon.
9. Why does a vibrating simple pendulum not produce any sound?
a. Sound is heard only if the body vibrates with a frequency of at least
20 Hz. Frequency of vibration of the pendulum is less than 20 Hz.
Hence no sound is heard when the pendulum vibrates or oscillates in
air.
10. Give an example to show that light travels faster than sound.
a. Lightning. You see the lightning first and then hear the thunder. The
most common example of showing that light travels faster than
sound is lightning. As the speed of sound is less than the speed of
light.
11. Distinguish between noise and musical sound.
a.
Musical Sound Noise
(i) It has a pleasing effect on the ears i) It is displeasing to the ear
(ii) It is produced by regular periodic (ii) It is produced by irregular
vibrations of a body vibrations in a material
(iii) The amplitude of vibration and its (iii) The amplitude and frequency of
frequency do not change suddenly vibration may change suddenly