Sound

Question 1

what do we say when air particles vibrate heavily?

Answer 1

we say that the vibrations have large AMPLITUDE.

Question 2

if particles vibrate slowly they make a ______ sound

Answer 2

low pitched

Question 3

if particles vibrate quickly they make a ____ sound

Answer 3

high-pitched

Question 4

what is frequency measured in?

Answer 4

hertz (Hz)

Question 5

if something vibrates a lot in one second, it creates a _______ _____________.

Answer 5

high frequency

Question 6

how can you see sound waves?

Answer 6

using a oscilloscope

Question 7

on an oscilloscope, how does a loud sound look?

Answer 7

the louder the sound, the higher the waves

Question 8

on an oscilloscope, how does a high pitched sound look?

Answer 8

the higher the pitch, the more waves there are, because there are more vibrations in one second

Question 9

why can sound not travel through a vaccuum?

Answer 9

because there are no particles to carry it

Question 10

how does sound travel through your ear to your brain? (step by step)

Answer 10

• a sound wave travels down the canal and makes the eardrum vibrate
• these vibrations are passed onto the cochlea by a set of three small bones
• in the cochlea, a liquid moves forwards and backwards and stimulates the nerve cells in it
• the nerve cells make electrical signals and send them along a nerve to the brain
• the brain receives an exact copy of the vibrations that made the sound wave

Question 11

what are sounds measured in?

Answer 11

decibel (dB)

Question 12

which loudness level can permanently damage your ear?

Answer 12

90 dB

Question 13

what happens when the cochlea is damaged?

Answer 13

they do not send clear electrical signals to the brain.

Question 14

what are loud sounds sometimes called?

Answer 14

noise pollution