Y8 Science | Sound Flashcards
Define wave
A wave transfers energy without transferring matter
What is a sound wave?
A wave made by vibration
How are sounds made?
By the vibration of objects
Sound needs to travel through a …… (e.g. solid/liquid/gas)
medium
Sound cannot travel in space because…
there are no particles to vibrate (a vaccuum)
Define vacuum
A space with no particles in it
Sounds travels fastest through a….
solid (the particles are close together)
Sound travels slowest in a …
gas (particles are far apart)
Which is faster, sound or light?
light
Define amplitude
The maximum vibration, measured from the middle position of the wave
Define frequency
Number of waves produced per second, in Hertz
Define wavelength
Distance between two corresponding points on a wave. Measured in metres.
What is the bottom of the wave called?
trough
What is the top of the wave called?
peak/crest
Define transverse waves
The direction of vibration is at right angles to the direction of motion of the wave e.g. light, waves on water
Define longitudinal wave
The direction of vibration is the same as the direction of motion of the wave e.g. sound
Why is sound also decribed as a pressure wave?
The waves have areas of high (particles close together) and low pressure (particles spread out)
How can sound waves warm up the surroundings?
They transfer energy by making particles vibrate
Name one example of a transverse wave
Surface water waves, light, skipping rope
Name one example of a longitudinal wave
Sound, ultrasound, slinky spring
If a sound increases in volume, what happens to its wave?
It gets taller (bigger amplitude)
When some of a sound wave is absorbed, what happens to its volume?
gets quieter
How do echos happen?
Sound waves are reflected from a surface
Define pitch of a sound wave
How high or low the sound is. A high pitch has a high frequency.
Define volume of a sound wave
How loud or quiet a sound is. A high volume has a high amplitude.
what are the units for frequency?
hertz (Hz)
How does pitch change with frequency?
High pitched sounds have a high frequency
Define auditory range
The range of frequencies that an animal can hear (for humans 20Hz to 20000Hz)
Define ultrasound
Sound waves with frequency higher than the auditory range
Define infrasound
Sound waves with frequenct below the auditory range
How does the shape of a wave change with pitch?
The waves are closer together
Name the six parts of the ear
Ear drum, bones (ossicles), cochlea, auditory nerve, auditory canal, pinna
State the function of the ear drum
Thin layer of membrane that picks up the vibrations of sounds waves
How are ear drums and microphone diaphragms similar?
They detect sounds
State the function of the cochlea
Long coiled tube filled with liquid that picks up vibrations and changes them to electrical signals
State the function of the auditory nerve
carries signal from cohlea to brain
Which three parts make up the outer ear?
The pinna, auditory canal and eadrum
What happens in the inner ear?
Vibrations pass from ear drum to ossicles to cochlea to auditory nerve
How can hearing get damaged?
ear canal can be blocked, burst ear drum, damage to cochlea or auditory nerve
How can you protect your hearing?
Avoid loud sounds (e.g. on headphone), don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear
