Sound Waves

Question 1

What are sound waves caused by?

Answer 1

Vibrating objects - these mechanical vibrations are passed through the surrounding medium as a series of compressions.

Question 2

How do we ‘hear’ the sound waves?

Answer 2

Sometimes the sound will eventually travel through someone’s inner ear and reach their eardrum, at which point the person will hear

Question 3

Which state do sound waves travel fastest in? Slowest?

Answer 3

Fastest: Solid
Then: Liquids
Slowest: Gases

Question 4

Can sound waves travel in a vacuum?

Answer 4

No

Question 5

Sound waves can be [ ] by hard flat surfaces

Answer 5

reflected

Question 6

Why do you hear a delay between the original sound and an echo?

Answer 6

The echo sound waves have to travel further, and so take longer to reach your ears

Question 7

Sound waves will also [ ] (change direction) as they enter different media. As they enter [ ] material they [ ].

Answer 7

refract
denser
speed up

Question 8

Higher frequency sound sound [ ] pitched

Answer 8

high

Question 9

[ ] frequency sound low pitched

Answer 9

Low

Question 10

What is frequency? Units?

Answer 10

Is the number of complete vibrations each second.

kHz (1000 Hz) and MHz (1,000,000 Hz)

Question 11

High frequency = [ ] wavelength

Answer 11

Shorter

Question 12

What does loudness depend on?

Answer 12

The amplitude

The bigger the amplitude the louder the sound