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by: Mr. Naveed

Expected short questions from theory and exercise
Atif

Chapter wise Notes (Physics)

Chapter # 11: Sound

SHORT QUESTIONS (EXERCISE)

Q#1: What is the necessary condition for the production of sound?
Ans: There are two conditions:
i.
The body must vibrate.
ii.
There must be a medium which sound can travel.
Q#2: What is the effect of the medium on the speed of sound? In which medium
sound travels more faster: air, solid or liquid. Justify your answer.
Ans: The nature of the medium will affect the speed of sound. The speed of sound in
solids is affected by change in temperature, pressure and density of medium. If the
medium is more denser it will transmit sound more faster because molecules are closer
together. By increasing temperature, kinetic energy also increases so, sound is more
transmitted.
Q#3: How can you prove mechanical nature of sound by a simple experiment?
Ans: An electric circuit consisting of a
battery, a switch and an electric bell which
is placed inside a glass jar and stand on the
platform of an evacuating pump. The switch
of the bell is pressed to close the circuit.
Sound is heard, when there is air within the
bell jar. Air is now gradually pumped out of
the bell jar. The intensity of sound goes on
decreasing and no sound is heard when the
air is completely removed from the bell jar. From this activity we conclude that sound
waves can only travel in the presence of air(medium). That proves mechanical nature of
sound.
Q#4: What do you understand by longitudinal wave?
Ans: That wave which travels in the direction parallel to the direction of vibration. OR
Q#5: Sound is a form of wave. List at least three reasons to support the idea that
sound is a wave.
Ans: Like waves the sound wave
i.
Can carry energy from one point to another.
ii.
Has property of interference.
iii.
Has property of reflection, diffraction and refraction.
Q#6: We know that waves manifest phenomenon of reflection, diffraction and
refraction. Does sound also manifest these characteristics?
Ans: Yes, Like other waves, a sound wave doesnt stop but enters in that medium due
to properties of refraction, reflection and diffraction.

by: Mr. Naveed

Expected short questions from theory and exercise
Atif

Chapter wise Notes (Physics)

Q#7: What is difference between the loudness and intensity of sound? Derive a
relation between two.
Ans: Sound intensity is defined as the sound power per unit area OR
the energy carried by sound waves per unit time per unit area placed perpendicular to
the direction of propagation of waves.
The basic unit is watts/m2. While sound loudness is the strength of the ears perception
of a sound. The relation between two is given below
L L0 = K ( log I log I0 ) = k log I/I0
Where K= constant
L L0 = Diff. b/w loudness L of unknown sound and L0 is intensity.
Q#8: On what factors does the loudness of sound depends?
Ans: Loudness of sound depends upon:
i.
Amplitude of vibrating body (direct relation)
ii.
Area of ------------- ( direct relation)
iii.
Distance from the ------------- ( Inverse relation)
Q#9: What do you mean by intensity level of a sound? Name and define the unit
of intensity level of sound.
Ans: L L0 = K ( log I log I0 ) = k log I/I0
L L0 = Diff. b/w loudness L of unknown sound and L0 is known as intensity level of
unknown sound. Therefore, the intensity level of an unknown sound is given by
Sound level = k log I / I0
The unit of intensity level is bel and decibel. As 1bel = 10 dB.
Sound level = log I / I0 (bel)
And for dB
Sound level = 10 log I / I0 (dB)
Q#10: What are the units of loudness? Why do we use logarithmic scale to
describe the range of the sound intensities we hear?
Ans: Units of loudness is bel and decibel.
We use logarithmic scale to describe the range of sound intensities because we hear
different frequencies so, to represent them instead of large range order we prefer
logarithmic.
Q#11: What is the difference between frequency and pitch?
Ans: The number of peaks (either crests or troughs) per unit time is known as
frequency while pitch of the sound is a characteristic of sound by which a shrill sound
can be distinguished from a grave one. Pitch depends upon the frequency.

Q#12: Describe the effect of change in amplitude on loudness and the effect of
change in frequency on the pitch of sound.
Ans: The loudness of the sound varies directly with the amplitude of the vibrating body.
A higher amplitude has more loud sound. Pitch of the sound varies directly with
frequency. A higher pitch means higher frequency and vice versa.

by: Mr. Naveed

Expected short questions from theory and exercise
Atif

Chapter wise Notes (Physics)

Q#13: If the pitch of sound is increased, what are the changes in the following?
a. the frequency
b. the wavelength
c. the wave velocity
d. the amplitude of the wave
Ans:
a. the frequency increases
b. the wavelength decreases
c. the wave velocity increases
d. the amplitude doesnt change because pitch is independent of sound.
Q#14: If we clap or speak in front of a building while standing at a particular
distance, we rehear our sound after sometime. Can we explain how does this
happen?
Ans: If we clap or speak in front of a building while standing at a particular distance, we
rehear our sound after sometime. This is due to reflection and this phenomenon is
known as echo.
Q#15, Q#16, Q#17 & Q#18
Ans: concern from text book (long questions)

Conceptual Questions
Q#1: Why two tin cans with a string stretched between them could be better way
to communicate tan merely shouting through the air?
Ans: Two tin cans with a string stretched between them could be better way to
communicate tan merely shouting through the air because sound is a wave and it
transfer energy from one place to another and in solids sound travels faster so, we can
easily hear sound through string.
Q#2: We can recognize persons speaking with the same loudness from their
voice. How is this possible?
Ans: We can recognize persons speaking with the same loudness from their voice
because their quality of sound is different.
Q#3: You can listen to your friend round a corner, but you cant watch him/her.
Why?
Ans: You can listen to your friend round a corner, because sound waves can propagate
from solid medium. So, you hear sound but cant see him/her.
Q#4: Why must the volume of a stereo in a room with wall-to-wall carpet can be
tuned higher than in room with the wooden floor?
Ans: This is because if the surface is smooth than reflection of sound is more
prominent.
Q#5: A student says that the two terms speed and frequency of a wave refer to
the same thing. What is your response?
Ans: When any student says this my response is very unpleasant because these two
terms doesnt refer to same thing.

by: Mr. Naveed

Expected short questions from theory and exercise
Atif

Chapter wise Notes (Physics)

Frequency is the number of peaks per unit time while speed is the measure of how long
it takes to travel a given distance.
Q#6: Two people are listening to the same music at the same distance. They
disagree on its loudness. Explain how this could happen?
Ans: They disagree because the loudness of the sound is a characteristic which
depends upon the physical condition of the ears of the listener.
Q#7: Is there any difference between echo and reflection of sound? Explain.
Ans: No, there is no difference.
Actually echo is a reflection which can be defined as when sound is incident on the
surface of a medium it bounces back into the first medium.
Q#8: Will two separate 50dB sounds together constitute a 100dB sound? Explain.
Ans: No, two separate 50dB sounds together do not constitute a 100dB sound because
dB is an logarithmic scale. Each ten dB increase in sound makes the sound ten times
louder. An increase of 50dB makes sound 104 times louder. Hence it will not make
100dB but twice as loud is an increase of 10 log (2) = 3.01 dB.
Q#9: Why ultrasound is useful in medical field?
Ans: An ultrasound is helpful way to observe many of bodys internal organs. It also
used to determine tumors, to check the flow of blood in vessels.

Additional Questions
Question#1: How sound is produced? Give Examples
Sound is a form of energy.
It is produced from a vibrating body which transfers in air from one place to other in
the form of compressional waves.
A medium is necessary for the traveling of sound.
For example:
i) Strike a spoon on a pan. A particular sound is produced. You can feel its vibration by
touching it with your finger.
ii) If we strike a tuning fork on a rubber pad, a sound is heard and the prongs of the
tuning for start vibrating.
Question#2: What is audible frequency range?
As name indicates, it is a range of sounds frequency, which a person can hear.
A human ear can hear a sound only if its frequency lies between 20 and 20,000 hertz
(Hz).
If the frequency of sound is less or greater than this range then that sound is
inaudible and could not be heard.
This range can be slightly differs in different persons.
Question#3: What are ultrasonic and what are its uses?
We know that human ear can hear a sound of frequency between 20 and 20,000 hertz.
The sounds of higher frequencies are utilized in many useful ways. These sounds
are called ultrasonic.
Some uses of ultrasonic are as under: i) In medical fields ultrasonic waves are used to diagnose and treat many ailments.

by: Mr. Naveed

Expected short questions from theory and exercise
Atif

Chapter wise Notes (Physics)

ii) They help in the formation of image of internal organs.

iii) They help to find the gender of baby before birth in the womb of mother.
iv) They help to remove blood clots in arteries.
v) They help to find the depth of ocean and rivers.
vi) They help to destroy germs and bacteria present in liquids.
vii) The resources of oil and gas beneath the Earth are searched by using ultrasonic.
viii) Kidney stones can be crushed and removed out through urine without surgery.
Question#4: What is decibel scale?
Bel, is the large unit of intensity level of a sound. A smaller unit is called decibel. It is
denoted by (dB). While 1 Bel is equal to 10dB.
Question#5: Define resonance?
The Phenomenon in which there is remarkable increase in the amplitude and hence
the loudness of sound when the frequency of air column becomes equal to that of the
tuning fork, is called resonance.
Question#6: What do you know about tuning fork?
It is device used to produce particular sound in laboratories and schools.
Question#7: The sound produced by explosions going on the sun are not heard
on the earth why?
Sound waves need a medium to travel. As there is no material medium between earth
and sun, therefore we could not hear the sound of these explosions.
Question#8: What do you know about infra Sonics?
The sound waves whose frequency is less than 20 Hz, which cannot be heard by
human ear are called infra sonic.
Question#9: A silent whistle used for calling doges cannot be heard by human
beings why?
Because the listening power of dogs is greater than man. Frequency of silent whistles
lies between 20000-25000 Hz, which can be heard by dogs but not by human beings.
Question#10: How can we measure the depth of an ocean?
An ultrasonic pulse is sent down towards the ocean bed from the bottom of ship.
This pulse after reflection from the ocean bed, reaches the ship where it is detected.
The time taken by the ultrasonic pulse in traveling from ship to the ocean bed and
back to the ship is measure.
Using this time and speed of sound in water the depth of ocean can be determined.
Question: Write two uses of ultra-sonic in medical field.
i) Ultra sonic are used to diagnose the different ailments. They are used to find the sex
of baby before birth in the womb of mother.
ii) Ultra sonic are used to remove blood clots in arteries.
iii) Ultra sonic are used to remove kidney stone by crushing them through urine without
surgery.
Question: Does intensity of sound depends on the physical condition of human
ear?
No, it is physical quantity and does not depend upon the condition of human ear.