Physics of Sound

Vocabulary

100

The loudness or softness of a sound is called:

Volume

200

When you make sounds by plucking a rubber band, you make the rubber band move back and forth quickly. What is this movement called?

Vibration

300

The highness or lowness of a sound is called the:

Pitch

400

If you roll a large sheet of paper into a tube, you can hear the sound better. This process of increasing the volume of a sound is called:

Amplification

500

The ability to tell different sounds apart is:

Sound discrimination

Pitch

100

A sound's pitch can be described as: a. high/low b. loud/soft

a. high/low

200

A harp has strings of different lengths. Describe how the sound of a short string being plucked is different from the sound of a long string being plucked.

A short string will produce a higher pitch than a long string.

300

Ben attaches two strings of the same length to a table in the same way. He attaches a heavy weight to one string and a light weight to the other string. What did Ben hear when he plucked the strings? a. The heavy-weight string had the same pitch as the light-weight string. b. The light-weight string had a higher pitch than the higher-pitch string. c. The heavy-weight string had a higher pitch than the lower-pitch string.

c. The heavy-weight string had a higher pitch than the lower-pitch string.

400

Kevin has a large tuning fork and a small tuning fork. He strikes each equally hard against a block of wood. Which tuning fork is vibrating faster? Which tuning fork has the lower pitch?

The small tuning fork is vibrating faster. The large tuning fork has the lower pitch.

500

A student has a harp that is out of tune. In order to make one of the strings higher in pitch, he should: a. Loosen the string b. Tighten the string

b. Tighten the string

Volume

100

Which of the following would produce the loudest sound: jet plane, pin falling, doorbell, or whisper?

Jet plane

200

Which of the following would produce the softest sound: jet plane, pin falling, doorbell, or whisper?

Pin falling

300

A sound's volume can be described as: a. high/low b. loud/soft

b. loud/soft

400

When you pluck a rubber band, a sound is produced. What happens to the volume of the sound if you pluck the rubber band harder?

The volume gets louder

500

Give an example of an object that can be used to amplify sounds.

Megaphone; Stethoscope

How Sound Travels

100

Imagine hitting two rocks together. Which of the sounds would be the softest (if you always hit the rocks together with the same force)? a. You hit the rocks together in the air b. You put one rock on the desk, put your ear to the desk, and hit the rocks together c. You jump into a swimming pool, go to the bottom, and hit the rocks together

a. You hit the rocks together in the air

200

What is a stethoscope?

A tool doctors use to amplify sounds inside the body

300

Which one of the following objects will sound travel through best? a. an iron rail b. the ocean c. air d. a piece of foam

a. an iron rail

400

After hitting a tuning fork against a block of wood, you put it in a cup of water. What happens to the water? Why?

The water splashes because the vibrations transfer to the water.

500

Name two things that amplify sound.

Stethoscope Megaphone Microphone Outer ear