Sound Through Matter
Sound needs matter to travel. What do we call the materials (like solids, liquids, and gases) that sound moves through?
A. Energy
B. Medium
C. Wave
D. Vacuum
B. Medium
Pitch tells us whether a sound is ______ or ______.
A. Loud or soft
B. High or low
C. Fast or slow
D. Long or short
B. High or low
Volume describes how ______ a sound is.
A. High or low
B. Loud or soft
C. Fast or slow
D. Long or short
B. Loud or soft
Frequency is the number of wave vibrations that happen in one ______.
A. Minute
B. Second
C. Hour
D. Day
B. Second
What causes a musical instrument to make sound?
A. Air pushing
B. Vibrations
C. Heat
D. Light
B. Vibrations
In which state of matter does sound travel the fastest — solid, liquid, or gas?
A. Gas
B. Liquid
C. Solid
D. Plasma
C. Solid
Does a faster vibration make a higher pitch or a lower pitch?
A. Higher pitch
B. Lower pitch
C. No change
D. Louder sound
A. Higher pitch
If someone hits a drum harder, what happens to the volume?
A. Increases
B. Decreases
C. Stays the same
D. Pitch changes
A. Increases
A sound wave with more waves per second has a higher or lower frequency?
A. Higher frequency
B. Lower frequency
C. Same frequency
D. Cannot tell
A. Higher frequency
When a guitar string is plucked, what part of the string movement produces the sound?
A. The string stretches
B. The string heats up
C. The string vibrates back and forth
D. The string stops moving
C. The string vibrates back and forth
Why does sound travel slower in air than in water?
A. Air particles are farther apart
B. Air is lighter than water
C. Air is colorless
D. Air is cold
A. Air particles are farther apart
A guitar player tightens a string before playing. How will that change the pitch?
A. Lowers the pitch
B. Raises the pitch
C. Makes it quieter
D. Stops sound
B. Raises the pitch
Why is whispering quieter than shouting?
A. Air is thinner
B. Vibrations are smaller
C. Pitch is lower
D. Mouth is closed
B. Vibrations are smaller
Two sounds have the same pitch, but one is louder. What property is different?
A. Frequency
B. Amplitude
C. Wavelength
D. Speed
B. Amplitude
A drummer hits a drum softly, then hits it harder. What changed in the sound?
A. Pitch
B. Volume
C. Frequency
D. Color
B. Volume
A student taps a metal railing and hears the sound right away. Why does the sound reach their ear so quickly?
A. The metal is shiny
B. Vibrations move quickly through solids
C. Sound travels faster in air
D. Your ears detect light
B. Vibrations move quickly through solids
Two flutes play the same note, but one has a shorter air column. Which flute produces the higher pitch, and why?
A. Longer column flute
B. Shorter column flute
C. Both the same
D. Neither produces sound
B. Shorter column flute
Two students clap the same rhythm, but one clap is louder. What changed — pitch or volume?
A. Pitch
B. Volume
C. Frequency
D. Wavelength
B. Volume
A sound wave with small amplitude will produce what kind of sound?
A. Loud
B. Soft
C. High pitch
D. Fast
B. Soft
Two guitar strings are the same length, but one is tighter. Which string will make the higher pitch, and why?
A. The looser string — vibrates faster
B. The tighter string — vibrates faster
C. The looser string — thicker
D. The tighter string — longer
B. The tighter string — vibrates faster
A sound wave travels from air into water. What happens to its speed, and why?
A. Slows down
B. Stays the same
C. Speeds up
D. Stops completely
C. Speeds up
A violinist loosens a string AND makes the vibrating length longer. What happens to the pitch, and why?
A. Higher pitch
B. Lower pitch
C. Louder sound
D. Same pitch
B. Lower pitch
A speaker plays music softly, then the volume is turned up. What changed in the sound waves?
A. Pitch
B. Amplitude
C. Frequency
D. Wavelength
B. Amplitude
Explain how amplitude and energy are related in a sound wave.
A. Greater amplitude = more energy
B. Greater amplitude = lower frequency
C. Greater amplitude = slower wave
D. Greater amplitude = shorter wavelength
A. Greater amplitude = more energy
A flute player presses keys that make the air column inside the flute shorter. How will that affect the sound, and why?
A. Pitch gets lower
B. Pitch gets louder
C. Pitch gets higher
D. Volume decreases
C. Pitch gets higher