13

Sound
Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge to be gained: •Sound •Production of sound •Propagation of sound •Human voice box
•Structure and working of human ear •Characteristics of sound •Noise pollution
Skill to be developed: •Ability to demonstrate that sound travels through various mediums.
Attitude to be inculcated: •Don’t contribute towards noise pollution instead, take steps to reduce it.

How do you come to know that a ‘period’ is over
in your school? You come to know that the
period is over by the ringing of the school bell.
You also come to know that someone is at your
door when they knock at the door or when you
hear the sound of the doorbell. All this is possible
only when you hear a sound.
You hear sounds of various types around you
every day. Some sounds are loud, like the sound
of thunder, and some sounds are so, like the
rustling of the leaves. Some sounds are shrill, like
the sound of the chalk scraping against the
board, and some sounds are dull, like the beating
of a tabla.
Sound plays an important role in our lives. It
helps us to communicate with each other
through talking and listening. Most animals
communicate with each other through sounds as
well.
In this Chapter, we are going to answer questions
like—What is sound? How is it produced? How
does it travel from one place to another? How do
we hear a sound? And, why are some sounds
louder than others?
SOUND
Sound is de ned as a form of energy that is
produced by vibration and requires a medium
to travel. is energy can be felt by our ears.
Both living and non-living things can produce
sound. However, each sound is special to the
object producing it.
How is Sound Produced?
Let us conduct a few experiments to understand
how sound is produced.

Sound 203
 Activity-1
Take a metal plate or a pan. Hang it freely at a
convenient place in such a way that it does not
touch any wall. Now strike it with a stick
(Fig.1). Do you hear any sound? Touch the pan
gently with your ngers. Can you feel the
vibration in the pan?
Observation: We hear a sound aer striking
the metal pan. Upon touching the pan gently
with our ngers, we can feel the vibrations in
the pan. Fig.1 Striking a metal pan with a stick
Conclusion: e vibrations felt in the pan could be related to the sound produced by it.

Activity-2
Aim: To demonstrate that a vibrating body
produces sound.
Materials required: A rubber band, a nail and
a wall.
Procedure: Tie one end of a rubber band to a
nail in the wall, and pull the other end. Now
with your free hand, pluck the stretched
rubber band, at some point near its middle.
Try to hear carefully if the rubber band is
producing any sound. Fig.2 A rapid to and fro movement produces sound
Observation: We can observe that the rubber band vibrates on plucking and upon careful listening,
we can hear the rubber band producing sound. As the rubber band slows down its movement and
eventually stops vibrating, the sound coming off the rubber band also slows down, and eventually
stops.
Conclusion: A vibrating body produces sound.
When an object moves to and fro rapidly, it is Similarly, if you observe the surface of a drum,
said to be vibrating. From the above activities, you would notice that it vibrates whenever sound
we can conclude that sound is produced when is produced by beating it with a stick. In the case
an object vibrates. We can notice several other of the drum or the tabla, a sound is produced, not
instances in our daily lives to prove that vibration by vibrations in any strings, but by the vibrations
causes sound. Just like a stretched rubber band in the membrane surface or the stretched skin of
vibrate and produce sound on plucking, the the tabla.
wires of a guitar also vibrate and produce sound Similarly, when we blow over the mouth of an
when it is plucked. e wires appear hazy while
empty bottle, sound is produced due to
vibrating.
204 Exploring Science-8
vibrations of the air column in the bottle.
Also, when the strings of a violin are rubbed by a
bow, sound is produced due to the vibrations of
the string.
When a sound is heard, it means that some
object must be vibrating to produce that
sound. e vibrations in some objects are large,
which we can see with our eyes, whereas the
vibrations in some objects are so small that we
cannot see them easily. For such objects, we have
to feel the vibrations by touching them.
Some outside energy is always required to make
an object vibrate and produce sound. For
example, our hands, winds, etc.
From the above examples, we can say that sound
is produced in the following ways:
u By plucking: For example, playing the guitar
or sitar.
u By beating: For example, playing the tabla or
drums.
u By blowing: For example, playing the ute or
blowing into a whistle.
u By rubbing: For example, playing the violin
or brushing a broom across the oor.
Propagation of Sound
When an object vibrates, the air molecules close
to the vibrating object also start vibrating at the
same frequency. ese vibrating air molecules
pass on their motion to the neighbouring air
molecules. e neighbouring molecules, thus,
also start vibrating. e same process repeats on
and on and the vibration keeps transferring
through the air. is creates a wave of vibration
that travels all around the vibrating object. is is
similar to the way waves are produced in a body
of water when we throw a stone into it. When the
vibrating air molecules reach our ears, the ears
feel these vibrations as sounds. Just like water
Sound
waves eventually die out aer travelling some
distance, the sound waves also die out aer
travelling some distance.
SOUND PRODUCED BY HUMANS
Humans produce sound by using the larynx
(voice box) present in their throats. e larynx is
situated at the top of the wind-pipe (trachea).
Put your ngers on the throat and nd a hard
bump that seems to move when you swallow.
is part of the body is the voice box. e human
larynx contains two ligaments running across
it, which are known as the vocal cords. e two
vocal cords are stretched across the voice box in
such a way that it leaves a narrow slit between
them for the passage of air.
Vocal cords
(stationary)
Vocal cords
(vibrating)
Fig.3 Sound is produced when our vocal cords vibrate
e vocal cords are a kind of strings attached to
the throat muscles. Sound is produced by the
vibration of the vocal cords.
Normally, the muscles of our vocal cords are
completely relaxed, due to which the vocal cords
are separated and loose so that the air coming
from the lungs can pass through, without
making any sound.
When we begin to speak, the muscles of the vocal
cords contract, due to which they become
stretched and close together, leaving a narrow slit
between them. While speaking, we allow the air
from the lungs to ow through the larynx. When
air passes through the two vocal cords, it makes
them vibrate and produce sound. We can contract
and stretch the muscles attached to the vocal cords
to produce sounds of different frequencies.
205
 When the muscles attached to the vocal cords
are relaxed, the two vocal cords become loose
and thick. The sound thus produced is of low
frequency.
When the muscles attached to the vocal cords
contract, the two vocal cords become stretched
and thin. The sound thus produced is of high
frequency.
e frequency of a woman’s voice is generally
hig her (hig h-pitched) t han t heir male
counterparts because women have shorter vocal
cords, which when stretched become even
thinner and produce a higher-pitched voice.
SOUND REQUIRES A MEDIUM FOR
PROPAGATION
We have already studied that we can hear sound
only when sound travels from a vibrating object
to our ears. For sound to travel, it is necessary to
have molecules that can vibrate in the space
between the sound-producing object and our
ears. If no molecules are present between the
source of the sound and the ear, or if the
molecules present are very far apart, then the
sound produced by the vibrating object would
not be able to reach our ear. is means that
sound cannot travel in a vacuum. Sound
requires a medium between the vibrating
object and the ear for propagation.
Sound can travel through solid, liquid and gas,
but it cannot travel through a vacuum. Sound
cannot travel through a vacuum because the
vacuum has no molecule which can vibrate and
carry sound waves.
Let us perform a few activities to prove that a
medium is essential for the propagation of
sound.

Activity-3
Aim: To demonstrate that sound travels through solids.
Materials required: Two tin cans with one of their sides open, two pins and a 20-metre thread.
Procedure: Make a hole at the centre of the base of the two cans. Pass a long thread through the
centre hole of the two cans. Use the pins for tying the thread inside the cans in such a way that the two
cans are placed at the two ends of the thread. Our apparatus is ready (Fig.4).
Aer connecting the two cans, take them as far as possible so that the thread gets fully stretched and
enough distance is created between the two tin cans.
Ask a friend to speak into the tin can at one end, and put the can at the opposite end around your ears.
Observation: You can hear what is being spoken at the other end of the thread.

Fig.4 A toy telephone

Conclusion: Sound travels from one end to another through the thread, proving that sound can
travel through solid substances.

206 Exploring Science-8

 Activity-4
Aim: To demonstrate that sound travels through liquids.
Materials required: A bucket, clean water and a small
bell.
Procedure: Take a bucket and ll it with clean water.
Take a small bell in one hand and put it inside the water
in the bucket. Shake this bell inside the water to produce
sound. Make sure that the bell does not touch the body
of the bucket.
Place your ear gently over the water surface (Fig.5).
Fig.5 Sound travelling through water
(Be careful: the water should not enter your ear.)
Observation: We can hear the sound of the bell from the surface of the water.
Conclusion: Sound travels through liquids.

Activity-5
Aim: To demonstrate that sound does not travel through a vacuum.
Materials required: An electric bell, an airtight glass bell jar and a vacuum pump.
Procedure 1: Take an electric bell and place it in an airtight glass bell jar. Connect it properly. Now,
ring the bell and observe if you can hear it.
Observation 1: We can hear the sound of the electric bell coming from inside the jar [Fig.6 (a)].
Procedure 2: Use a vacuum pump and start taking the air out of the glass jar with the electric bell
placed inside it. Keep ringing the bell as you take out the air and observe if you can hear it ringing.
Observation 2: e sound of the electric bell coming from inside the jar keeps decreasing as we keep
removing the air. Eventually, no sound can be heard coming from the jar [Fig.6 (b)].
Vacuum
Air present Glass jar (No air)
Glass jar
BELL BELL

Sound is heard No sound heard

(a) (b) To vacuum pump

Fig.6 Sound cannot travel through vacuum
Conclusion: A medium is always necessary for the transmission of sound. Sound cannot travel
through a vacuum.
Speed of Sound speed of sound is different for different mediums.
Sound travels fastest in solids, slower in liquids
Sound takes some time to travel from the source
and slowest in gases. e speeds of sound
(object producing the sound) to our ears. e
travelling through some objects are given.
Sound 207
 Sl. No. Material Speed of sound You must have noticed that in the rainy season,
the sound of thunder is heard much later than its
1. Air 340 m/s
lightning is seen, even though both of them are
2. Water 1500 m/s produced at the same time. is is because light
3. Glycerine 1900 m/s travels much faster than sound. Sound travels
4. Iron 5000 m/s through air at an average speed of 340 m/s, while
light travels through air at an average speed of
5. Diamond 12000 m/s
30,00,00,000 m/s.
Checkpoint-1
Write True or False
1. Sound is a form of energy. __________
2. Both living and non-living things can produce sounds. __________
3. Vibration is a uni-directional motion. __________
4. Sound produced by beating does not involve vibration. __________
5. Sound does not require a medium to travel. __________
6. e vocal cords act like strings attached to the muscles of the larynx. __________

THE HUMAN EAR the inner ear through a tiny opening called the
We need our ears to hear any sound. e ear is oval window.
the sense organ present in our body to hear Inner ear
sounds. e inner part of our ear consists of a coiled tube
Structure of the Ear called the cochlea. One end of the cochlea is
e ear can be studied by dividing it into three connected to the middle part of the ear through an
parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the elastic membrane over the oval window. e
inner ear. cochlea is lled with a liquid that contains nerve
cells that are sensitive to sound. e end of the
Outer ear
cochlea is connected to the auditory nerve. e
e outer ear consists of the visible part of the ear auditory nerve takes the nerve signal to the brain.
called the pinna attached to a passage, about 1.5 Outer Middle Inner
ear ear ear
inches long, called the ear tube. At the end of the
ear-tube, there is a thin elastic and stretched
circular membrane called the eardrum. e
Auditory
eardrum separates the outer ear from the middle nerve
ear.
Cochlea
Middle ear Eardrum
e middle ear consists of three very tiny Pinna
Eartube Ossicles
interlocked bones called the ossicles . e
innermost bone of the middle ear is connected to Fig.7 Structure of a human ear
208 Exploring Science-8
Working of the Ear
A sound source causes air molecules to vibrate.
ese vibrations travel in all directions. When
the vibrations reach our ear, they are collected by
the pinna and funnelled into the ear tube. e
vibrations further travel in the ear tube and
eventually strike the eardrum, which then starts
vibrating with the same frequency. e vibration
of the eardrum causes the three tiny interlocked
bones (ossicles) to vibrate. ese three tiny
interlocked bones amplify the vibrations and
transmit them to the inner ear. e vibrations
from the ossicles stimulate the sound-sensitive
nerve cells in the cochlea. e nerve cells in the
cochlea generate electrical impulses which are
sent to the brain via the auditory nerve of our
nervous system. e brain interprets these
electrical impulses as sounds, and we get the
sensation of hearing.
TERMS RELATED TO A SOUND
WAVE (VIBRATION)
We have learnt that vibration is a to and fro
motion of an object. Vibration is also known as
oscillatory motion. When a swing moves back
and forth repeatedly, we say that the swing is
oscillating (oscillatory motion). Similarly, when
a simple pendulum moves from one extreme
position to another and continues to do so, we
say that the pendulum is oscillating. It can also be
said that the pendulum is vibrating. erefore,
the terms ‘vibration’ and ‘oscillation’ can be used
interchangeably.
We know that sound travels in the form of a
wave. A sound wave is produced when a
vibration travels in space and covers some
distance. A wave is a vibration that travels
through a medium, from one location to another.
Observing Vibrations (Oscillations)
In a sound producing object, the vibrations are
very rapid. In order to observe each vibration
Sound
clearly, we would need to slow down “time”.
Another way of observing vibrations is by
observing the oscillations in a simple pendulum.
A simple pendulum has a weight called the bob,
hanging from a xed surface. When the
pendulum is not disturbed (at rest), it stays in a
xed position. This xed position is called the
mean position of the pendulum. As soon as we
give the bob a push, the pendulum starts a to and
fro motion (oscillation) about its mean position.
Rigid
support
read
A B
Bob Extreme Extreme
(metallic O
position position
sphere) Mean
position
Fig.8 A vibrating (oscillating) simple pendulum
Every vibrating/oscillating motion has three
important characteristics—amplitude, time-
period and frequency.
Amplitude
e maximum displacement of a vibrating
object from its mean position is called the
amplitude of the vibration. Let us take the
example of a simple pendulum. If we give the bob
of a simple pendulum a small push then the
maximum distance travelled by the bob of the
pendulum from its mean position is small. If we
give the bob a stronger push, the maximum
distance travelled by the bob is larger. is shows
the variation in the amplitude of the oscillation.
A B A B
O O
(a) Small amplitude (b) Large amplitude
Fig.9
209
 If we construct a wave graph of the oscillating
pendulum, it would look like this:
Displacement
of pendulum B
Amplitude
A C E Time
D Time taken for one oscillation
Fig.10 Amplitude of an oscillating pendulum
Time Period
e time taken by a vibrating object to
complete one vibration is called its time
period. In the case of a simple pendulum, the
time taken by the bob of the pendulum to move
from its mean position to one extreme position,
and then to the other extreme position, and then
back to the mean position, is called the time-
period of the oscillating pendulum. In simple
words, the time taken to complete one oscillation
is called the time period.
Most of the time, it is difficult to measure time for
just one oscillation, therefore we measure time
for 10 or 20 oscillations and then divide the total
time by the number of oscillations.
Displacement
of pendulum B
Time
A C E
Time period
D
Fig.11 Time period of an oscillating pendulum
Frequency
e number of vibrations (oscillations) made
in one second by a vibrating body is called the
frequency of the vibration. Frequency is
measured in a unit called hertz (Hz). If a
pendulum makes 10 oscillations per second, the
210 Exploring Science-8
frequency of the pendulum is 10 Hz.
If a pendulum makes 10 oscillations in 5 seconds,
then let us try to nd the frequency and the time-
period of the pendulum.
No. of oscillations made by the pendulum in
1 second = ⁄
= 2 oscillations per second
The frequency of the pendulum = 2 Hz
Time taken for 10 oscillations = 5 seconds
= ⁄ seconds
= ½ second
The time period of the pendulum is = 0.5 seconds
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND
We can recognise most sounds even without
seeing the objects that are producing them. is
is because all the sounds are different from each
other. A sound has three characteristics by which
it can be recognised. ey are—loudness, pitch
and the quality of a sound. We can differentiate
the sound of a beating drum from that of a
plucked guitar string, even without seeing them
being played because both the sounds differ
hugely in these three characteristics.
Loudness
If we strike a drum soly, it produces a so
sound. If we strike it hard, it produces a loud
sound. In both cases, a sound is produced due to
the vibration of the skin of the drum. But both
sounds are different because the amplitude of the
vibration in both cases is very different.
e loudness of a sound depends upon the
amplitude of the vibration being produced by
the source of the sound. e greater the
amplitude of the vibration, the louder the
sound produced would be.
Similarly, when a guitar string is plucked lightly,
it produces a faint sound. is is because the
string in the guitar vibrates with a small
amplitude. When the guitar string is plucked
hard, the string vibrates with a larger amplitude, is. e pitch (shrillness) of a sound is
and thus produces a loud sound. determined by the frequency of the vibration. If
Vibrating string Small Large the frequency of vibration is higher, we say that the
amplitude amplitude
sound is shrill and has a higher pitch. If the
frequency of vibration is lower, we say that the
String at rest String at rest sound has a lower pitch. e higher the
(a) Faint sound (b) Loud sound frequency, the more high-pitched the sound is.
Fig.12 Loudness depends on the amplitude of sound When we say that a woman’s voice is shriller than
We now know that the loudness of a sound a man’s voice, it means that the frequency of a
increases with the increase in the amplitude of woman’s voice is higher than a man’s voice.
the vibration. If the amplitude of vibration is A drum vibrates at a lower frequency than a
doubled then the loudness of the sound guitar. erefore, a drum gives a low-pitched
produced due to the vibration increases four sound, whereas a guitar gives a high-pitched
times. Similarly, if the amplitude of vibration is sound.
increased three times, the loudness of the sound If we tighten the strings of the guitar, the pitch of
thus produced is increased by nine times. the sound increases. Similarly, if we tighten the
We can say that the loudness of sound is directly skin of a drum, the pitch of the sound produced
proportional to the square of the amplitude of by the drum increases.
the vibration responsible for that sound, i.e., A bird makes a high-pitched sound, whereas a
loudness = (amplitude) . e loudness of sound is lion makes a low-pitched roar. However, the roar
expressed in a unit called decibel (dB). e of a lion is very loud, while the sound of the bird
following table gives some idea of the loudness of is quite feeble. is means that the voice of the
sound coming from various sources. bird has a higher frequency but lower amplitude,
Sound Average Loudness and the roar of a lion has a higher amplitude, but
Normal breathing 10 dB a lower frequency.
So whisper (at 5m) 30 dB
Normal conversation 60 dB
Busy traffic 70 dB
Average factory 80 dB
An aeroplane taking off 120 dB
Rocket engine taking off 180 dB
Fig.13
Noises, having loudness above 80 db are Frequency
physically painful. determines
the pitch of
Pitch the sound
Even if the amplitudes of the sounds produced by
a drum and a guitar are the same, we can
distinguish between the two sounds. is is
because the two sounds differ in pitch and
quality as well.
Pitch is the measure of how high or low a sound
Sound 211
 Quality
Even if we adjust a guitar and a ute to give the
same pitch and loudness, we would be able to
distinguish the sounds of the two instruments.
is is because both sounds have their unique
qualities which differ from each other.
Quality is the characteristic of a sound that
enables us to distinguish the sounds produced
by different objects, even if they are of the same
loudness and pitch.
Quality of voice is the reason why we can
recognise people on the telephone by their voice.
Studies have shown that most sound-producing
objects do not generate sounds of just one
frequency. Instead, they simultaneously generate
a distinct sound of a single frequency and other
sounds of different frequencies. Let us
understand this with an example.
When we play a note on a guitar, it produces a
basic sound of a certain frequency called the
fundamental. Along with the fundamental, it
also produces a mixture of sounds of different
frequencies and loudness. ese are called
harmonics.
If the same note is played on a guitar and a sitar,
the fundamentals of the two sounds thus
produced will be the same, but the harmonics of
the two sounds will differ. is is why we are able
to distinguish the same note played between a
sitar and a guitar.
us, the quality of a sound is determined by
the frequencies and loudness of its harmonics.
AUDIBLE AND INAUDIBLE SOUNDS
All vibrating objects do not produce audible
sound. An object must vibrate at the rate of at
least 20 times per second to be able to produce an
audible sound. is means that a vibrating body
with a frequency of at least 20 hertz can produce
212 Exploring Science-8
sounds that can be detected by a human ear.
e sounds with frequencies lower than 20
hertz cannot be heard by human ears. Such
s ounds are c a l l e d inf r as oni c s ounds .
Rhinoceros can produce infrasonic sounds
having frequencies less than 20 hertz. ey can
also hear infrasonic sounds.
Human ears also cannot detect sounds having
frequencies of more than 20,000 hertz. e
sounds with frequencies higher than 20,000
hertz cannot be heard by human ears. Such
sounds are called ultrasonic sounds. Some
animals, like bats and dogs, can produce as well
as hear ultrasonic sounds.
is means the human ear can only detect
sounds between the frequencies of 20 Hz and
20,000 Hz.
It is a boon that we cannot hear infrasonic
sounds; otherwise, we would have heard the
heartbeat and the movement of muscles all the
time.
We use technology to produce very high-
frequency ultrasonic sounds. Ultrasonic sounds
can penetrate objects to a large extent because of
their very high frequency. Ultrasonic sounds can
be used to form images of organs inside our
body. ey are used to check on the growth of the
foetus in a woman’s uterus.
NOISE AND MUSIC
We hear different types of sounds around us. e
sounds we hear may not always be pleasing.
S ometimes, the sound may even cause
discomfort. Some sounds are pleasant to the
ear, whereas some are not.
Suppose construction work is going on in your
neighbourhood. Are the sounds coming from
the construction site pleasing? Do you enjoy the
sounds produced by horns of buses and trucks?
Such unpleasant sounds are called noise. ose around us are:
sounds which are unpleasant to hear, u Road traffic noise, like the noise coming from
especially those that are loud, are called noise. motor vehicles (blowing horns and sound of
Noise is mostly produced by excessive and engines).
irregular vibrations. u e bursting of crackers.
In a classroom, if a lot of students speak together, u e machines in factories.
the sound heard by the teacher is not pleasant. It
u Air and rail traffic noise, like the sounds of
is even confusing and does not make any sense.
running trains and blowing horns and, take-
In such cases, you must have heard your teacher
off and landing of aeroplanes.
telling the students not to create noise.
u Neighbourhood and domestic noise, like the
On the other hand, we enjoy sounds from
noise produced by barking dogs, kitchen
musical instruments. A musical sound is one
appliances, coolers and air-conditioners,
which is pleasing to the ear. e sound
building constructions, etc.
produced by a harmonium is a musical sound.
e string of a sitar also gives out a musical Harmful Effects of Noise Pollution
sound. Musical sounds are produced by the Loud noise is harmful to us. It can affect our
regular vibration of objects. When a person sings health and well-being in several ways. e
a melodious song, the sound thus produced is various harmful effects of noise pollution are:
pleasant to hear.
u Loud noise causes great harm to our ears. It
However, if a musical sound becomes too loud, it reduces the hearing power of our ears.
becomes unpleasant to hear, and is then Exposure to sudden high noise can cause the
considered as noise. rupture of our eardrums. It can damage our
Sl. No. Range of Loudness Feelings ears permanently, and cause deafness.
1. 1-10 dB Just audible u Loud noise does not allow a person to work or
2. 10-30 dB Very quiet study.
3. 30-50 dB Quiet
4. 50-70 dB Moderately loud u Exposure to continuous loud noise can lead
5. 70-90 dB Very loud to an increase in blood pressure and
6. 90-120 dB Uncomfortable hypertension.
7. 120-180 dB Painful u Loud noise during night-time can disturb our
sleep.
Knowledge Booster Measures to Limit Noise Pollution
Sounds of 180 dB and above can cause heart a ack,
and even death. Some methods to reduce noise pollution are as
follows:
NOISE POLLUTION
u City planning should be done in such a way
Excessive noise in our surroundings is known that airports, railway stations and factories
as noise pollution. are located far away from the residential
Major Sources of Noise Pollution areas.
Some of the major sources of noise pollution u Plantation on the roadsides and elsewhere

Sound 213
 can reduce noise pollution. Making a tree-
lined buffer zone between residential
colonies and roads with heavy traffic can also
reduce noise pollution.
u Automobiles should be tted with better
silencers and so horns. We should not blow
horns unnecessarily.
u e use of loudspeakers in public places
should be regulated.
u We should avoid bursting crackers as they
cause air pollution as well as noise pollution.
u We can also take some measures at home, like
playing the music systems, radio and
television at a low volume. We can also
double-glaze the glass in windows to block
the noise coming from outside.
u Machines should be well-maintained so as to
produce minimal noise. People working in
noisy conditions should wear earplugs.
u e government should work on increasing
general awareness among people about the
harmful effects of noise pollution.

Checkpoint-2
Fill in the blanks
1. e ear is a sense organ present in our body for the purpose of __________.
2. e __________ nerve takes the nerve signal from the ear to the brain.
3. A simple pendulum has a hanging weight called the __________.
4. Frequency is measured in a unit called __________.
5. e loudness of a sound depends upon the __________ of the vibration.

Keywords
Vibration : Rapid to and fro motion.
Propagation : e action of spreading widely.
Amplitude : Maximum displacement of a vibrating body from its mean position.
Time period : e time taken by a body to complete one vibration/oscillation.
Frequency : Number of vibrations made in one second.
Decibel : Unit for measuring the loudness of a sound.
Infrasonic : Sounds of frequency lower than 20 Hz.
Ultrasonic : Sounds of frequency higher than 20,000 Hz.
Noise : Unpleasant unwanted sound.

Points to Remember
u Sound is a form of energy that is produced by vibration and requires a medium to travel. is
energy can be felt by our ears. Sound is produced when an object vibrates.
u Humans produce sound by using the voice box or the larynx present in our throats.
u e human larynx contains two ligaments running across it, which are known as the vocal
cords. Sound is produced by the vibration of the vocal cords.
u Sound requires a medium between the vibrating object and the ear, for the purpose of
propagation.
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u Sound cannot travel through a vacuum because a vacuum has no molecule which can vibrate
and carry sound waves.
u Sound travels fastest in solids, slower in liquids and the slowest in gases.
u e ear is the sense organ present in our body for the purpose of hearing. e human ear can be
studied by dividing it into three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.
u e eardrum senses the vibrations of sound and passes the vibration along to the middle ear
and the inner ear. e auditory nerve at the end of the inner ear sends the signals to the brain.
is process is called hearing.
u e maximum displacement of an oscillating or vibrating object from its mean position is
called its amplitude. e loudness of a sound depends on its amplitude.
u e time taken by a vibrating object to complete one vibration is called its time-period.
u e number of oscillations or vibrations per second of an oscillating body is called frequency.
e pitch or shrillness of a sound depends on its frequency.
u e human ear can hear sounds with frequencies between 20 hertz and 20,000 hertz.
u Unpleasant sounds are called noise.
u Excessive noise in our surroundings is known as noise pollution. Noise pollution can affect our
health and well-being in several ways.

Exercise
A. Tick (3) the Correct Option
1. Sound can travel through:
(a) solids (b) liquids
(c) gases (d) all of these
2. e maximum displacement of a vibrating body from its mean position is called its:
(a) frequency (b) amplitude
(c) pitch (d) time period
3. Which among the following sound frequencies can be heard by humans?
(a) 10 Hz (b) 10000 Hz
(c) 50000 Hz (d) 5 Hz
4. When we change a feeble sound to a loud sound, we increase its:
(a) frequency (b) time-period
(c) amplitude (d) tempo
5. Ultrasonic sound can penetrate a matter to a large extent because they have a:
(a) very high frequency (b) very high speed
(c) very high amplitude (d) very high quality
Sound 215
 B. Fill in the Blanks with Suitable Words
1. When a sound is heard, it means that some object must be __________ to produce that
sound.
2. When an object vibrates then the air __________ close to the vibrating object also starts
vibrating at the same frequency.
3. __________ is also called the voice box in humans.
4. Sound is produced in humans by the vibration of the __________.
5. Sound travels fastest in __________.
6. A shrill voice has a __________ frequency.
7. __________ sound can be used to form images of organs inside our body.
8. Too much noise in the environment causes __________.
C. Very Short-Answer-Type Questions
1. What is sound?
2. When is an object said to be vibrating?
3. Which organ is used by humans to produce sound?
4. What kind of sound is produced when the vocal cords become stretched and thin?
5. What is the average speed of sound travelling through the air?
6. Which nerve is responsible for taking audio impulses to the brain?
7. Which unit is used to express frequency?
8. An object makes 50 vibrations in 5 seconds. Can the sound produced by the object be heard
by a human ear?
9. Which unit is used to express the loudness of a sound?
10. Give an example of each—a high-pitched sound and a low-pitched sound.
11. What are infrasonic sounds?
12. What are ultrasonic sounds?
D. Short-Answer-Type Questions
1. How do sound waves travel from the sound-producing objects to our ears?
2. Why does sound require a medium for propagation?
3. Why can we see lightning before we hear thunder, even though both are produced at the
same time?
4. How is the loudness of a sound related to the amplitude of the vibration?
5. How is the pitch of a sound related to the frequency of the vibration?
6. How does our ear distinguish the sounds, if we play the same note on a guitar and a sitar?
7. Differentiate between noise and music.
8. What are the major sources of noise pollution?
216 Exploring Science-8
E. Long-Answer-Type Questions
1. How do humans produce sound by using their larynx?
2. Describe the structure of a human ear with the help of a diagram.
3. Describe the functioning of a human ear.
4. Explain the amplitude, time period and frequency of a vibrating body with the help of a
simple pendulum.
5. Mention the various harmful effects of noise pollution and the measures we can take to limit
noise pollution.
HOTS
1. Two people are trying to speak to each other while standing on the surface of the moon. Will
they be able to hear each other?
2. People living near railway tracks can oen tell whether a train is approaching or not, by
pressing their ears against the track. How is this possible?

Activity Zone
A. Make a Jal-Tarang instrument at home:
Procedure:
1. Take 8-10 bowls of the same size.
2. Fill all the bowls with water in different ratios.
Increase gradually from one end to another.
3. Take a wooden stick and hit the top of each
bowl to produce a different musical note.
4. You can adjust the water to produce clear notes
like sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ne, sa.
5. Strike all of them in succession. You would be able to hear pleasant sounds. is is your
Jal-Tarang.

B. Make a box guitar:

Procedure:
1. Take an empty shoe box.
2. Make a circular hole of 4 cm radius on the cover of the shoe box.
3. Take a few rubber bands of different thicknesses and stretch
them, as shown in the gure alongside.
4. Place the rubber bands at equal distances over the hole in the
box.
5. Pluck the rubber bands one by one. You would be able to hear
pleasant sounds. is is your box guitar.

Sound 217
 Project Work
C. e principle of re ection of sound is used in an instrument called the SONAR. Take the
help of your parents and the internet to nd out about what is SONAR, how it works and
where it can be used. Make a detailed report on your ndings.

Science Excursion

D. Visit the music room at your school. You may also visit musicians in your locality or a musical
instrument shop. Make a list of all the musical instruments you can see. Note down the parts of
these instruments that vibrate to produce sound.

Memory Map

Noise Pollution
causes
regular and
harmonic irregular
Music Vibrations Noise
produced by

SOUND

Characteristics Medium to travel

Loudness Pitch Quality Solid Liquid Gas

depends on depends on depends on
Maximum Minimum
Amplitude Frequency Harmonics speed speed

e-Resources
Please visit the link given below or scan the QR code for more resources on
this Chapter:

https://www.megamindpublication.com/s-5-science/b-4-exploring-science-8/c-57/
sound.html

218 Exploring Science-8