Y8 Science | Sound

Question 1

Define wave

Answer 1

A wave transfers energy without transferring matter

Question 2

What is a sound wave?

Answer 2

A wave made by vibration

Question 3

How are sounds made?

Answer 3

By the vibration of objects

Question 4

Sound needs to travel through a …… (e.g. solid/liquid/gas)

Answer 4

medium

Question 5

Sound cannot travel in space because…

Answer 5

there are no particles to vibrate (a vaccuum)

Question 6

Define vacuum

Answer 6

A space with no particles in it

Question 7

Sounds travels fastest through a….

Answer 7

solid (the particles are close together)

Question 8

Sound travels slowest in a …

Answer 8

gas (particles are far apart)

Question 9

Which is faster, sound or light?

Answer 9

light

Question 10

Define amplitude

Answer 10

The maximum vibration, measured from the middle position of the wave

Question 11

Define frequency

Answer 11

Number of waves produced per second, in Hertz

Question 12

Define wavelength

Answer 12

Distance between two corresponding points on a wave. Measured in metres.

Question 13

What is the bottom of the wave called?

Answer 13

trough

Question 14

What is the top of the wave called?

Answer 14

peak/crest

Question 15

Define transverse waves

Answer 15

The direction of vibration is at right angles to the direction of motion of the wave e.g. light, waves on water

Question 16

Define longitudinal wave

Answer 16

The direction of vibration is the same as the direction of motion of the wave e.g. sound

Question 17

Why is sound also decribed as a pressure wave?

Answer 17

The waves have areas of high (particles close together) and low pressure (particles spread out)

Question 18

How can sound waves warm up the surroundings?

Answer 18

They transfer energy by making particles vibrate

Question 19

Name one example of a transverse wave

Answer 19

Surface water waves, light, skipping rope

Question 20

Name one example of a longitudinal wave

Answer 20

Sound, ultrasound, slinky spring

Question 21

If a sound increases in volume, what happens to its wave?

Answer 21

It gets taller (bigger amplitude)

Question 22

When some of a sound wave is absorbed, what happens to its volume?

Answer 22

gets quieter

Question 23

How do echos happen?

Answer 23

Sound waves are reflected from a surface

Question 24

Define pitch of a sound wave

Answer 24

How high or low the sound is. A high pitch has a high frequency.

Question 25

Define volume of a sound wave

Answer 25

How loud or quiet a sound is. A high volume has a high amplitude.

Question 26

what are the units for frequency?

Answer 26

hertz (Hz)

Question 27

How does pitch change with frequency?

Answer 27

High pitched sounds have a high frequency

Question 28

Define auditory range

Answer 28

The range of frequencies that an animal can hear (for humans 20Hz to 20000Hz)

Question 29

Define ultrasound

Answer 29

Sound waves with frequency higher than the auditory range

Question 30

Define infrasound

Answer 30

Sound waves with frequenct below the auditory range

Question 31

How does the shape of a wave change with pitch?

Answer 31

The waves are closer together

Question 32

Name the six parts of the ear

Answer 32

Ear drum, bones (ossicles), cochlea, auditory nerve, auditory canal, pinna

Question 33

State the function of the ear drum

Answer 33

Thin layer of membrane that picks up the vibrations of sounds waves

Question 34

How are ear drums and microphone diaphragms similar?

Answer 34

They detect sounds

Question 35

State the function of the cochlea

Answer 35

Long coiled tube filled with liquid that picks up vibrations and changes them to electrical signals

Question 36

State the function of the auditory nerve

Answer 36

carries signal from cohlea to brain

Question 37

Which three parts make up the outer ear?

Answer 37

The pinna, auditory canal and eadrum

Question 38

What happens in the inner ear?

Answer 38

Vibrations pass from ear drum to ossicles to cochlea to auditory nerve

Question 39

How can hearing get damaged?

Answer 39

ear canal can be blocked, burst ear drum, damage to cochlea or auditory nerve

Question 40

How can you protect your hearing?

Answer 40

Avoid loud sounds (e.g. on headphone), don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear