Main Ideas

Question 1

What is sound?

Answer 1

Sound is a form of energy.

Question 2

Describe how sound waves travel through a material.

Answer 2

The molecules in the material vibrate in a regular pattern, bumping into each other, passing the pattern onto other molecules.

Question 3

What does sound need in order to travel?

Answer 3

Sound must travel through a medium (solid, liquid or gas).

Question 4

Describe the speed of sound as it travels through different mediums.

Answer 4

Fastest through solids
Slower through liquids
Slowest through gases

Question 5

Name the three things that can happen when sound encounters a new medium.

Answer 5

*The sound can continue traveling through the new medium
*The sound can be absorbed by the new medium
*The sound can bounce back, or be reflected by the new medium

(Sometimes a combination of all three can happen at the same time)

Question 6

How is pitch changed?

Answer 6

Pitch can be changed by changing how fast an object vibrates.

Question 7

Describe how high and low pitch is formed.

Answer 7

Objects that vibrate slowly produce low pitches.
Objects that vibrate quickly produce high pitches.

Question 8

Describe the relationship between frequency, vibrations and pitch

Answer 8

Low Frequency = Slow Vibrations = Low Pitch

High Frequency = Fast Vibrations = High Pitch