11 markeasy
Which of the frequency ranges below is completely audible by a human who has average hearing?
Choose your answer
200 Hz to 200 kHz
5 Hz to 50 kHz
50 Hz to 5 kHz
50 kHz to 50 MHz
Physics
Sound — Multiple-Choice Questions (Cambridge International IGCSE Physics): Exam Questions
Exam code:062521 questions · 21 marks · ≈ 21 min
21 markeasy
A tuba player plays a loud note on her tuba.
She then plays a quiet note of the same pitch.
Which property of the sound wave she produced has changed?
Choose your answer
Frequency
Wavelength
Amplitude
Speed
31 markeasy
A high frequency note is played on a violin.
The violinist then reduces the frequency of the note.
What change in the note do the audience hear?
Choose your answer
Pitch increases
Pitch decreases
Volume increases
Volume decreases
41 markeasy
Sound wave W has amplitude, *A, *and frequency, f.
Sound wave X is louder and lower in pitch than sound wave W.
What can be said about the amplitude and frequency of sound wave X?
| Amplitude | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|
| A | higher than A | higher than f |
| B | higher than A | lower than f |
| C | lower than A | higher than f |
| D | lower than A | lower than f |
Choose your answer
51 markeasy
Extended tier only
Which of the following is not a use of ultrasound?
Choose your answer
Scanning a fetus during pregnancy
Non-destructive testing of materials such as to find leaks in copper pipes
Mapping with sonar
Identifying broken bones
61 markmedium
When objects vibrate, they produce sound waves.
An object in a room vibrates. However, a person in that same room does not hear anything. Why not?
Choose your answer
The room contains no air.
The sound waves are travelling too fast.
The amplitude of the sound waves is too great.
The frequency of the sound waves is too great.
71 markmedium
After a lockdown drill at a school, the management team notes that the lockdown siren is too quiet, and its pitch is too low to be heard at a distance.
They call the company that supplied the siren and ask them to make the alarm louder, and to give it a higher pitch.
What effect does the change have on the resulting sound wave produced by the siren?
Choose your answer
It has a larger amplitude and a lower frequency.
It has a larger frequency and a lower amplitude.
It has a smaller frequency and a larger amplitude.
It has a larger frequency and a larger amplitude.
81 markmedium
A teacher uses a piece of lab equipment called a signal generator, which he connects to a speaker.
This apparatus can be used to make a particularly irritating noise.
The teacher makes four sounds of different frequencies with the signal generator. Which one can be heard by the student?
Choose your answer
10 Hz
30 kHz
440 Hz
120 kHz
91 markmedium
Echoes can sometimes be heard where a person is surrounded by distant, hard, flat surfaces.
In Greek mythology, Echo is a mountain nymph who was cursed by Hera to be only able to repeat the last words she heard. This ends tragically when she falls in love with Narcissus who, alas, loves only his own reflection.
In Physics, which wave property causes an echo?
Choose your answer
Reflection
Refraction
Diffraction
Dispersion
101 markmedium
A boy named Narcissus participates in a class experiment to measure the speed of sound. He finds the large, flat wall of a building and stands a known distance away from it. He then claps his hands.
A very short time later, he hears the sound of the clap returning to him as an echo.
Why?
Choose your answer
The sound waves are reflected from the wall.
The sound waves are refracted by the wall.
The energy of the sound waves spreads out as they travel away from Narcissus.
The wind is blowing towards Narcissus, and the sound waves are blown back towards him.
111 markmedium
Extended Tier Only
A pulse of sound is produced at the bottom of a boat. The sound travels through the water and is reflected from the sea bed. The sound reaches the boat again after 1.3s. The sea bed is 1000m below the boat.
Using this information, what is the speed of sound in the water?
Choose your answer
770 m/s
1300 m/s
1500 m/s
2600 m/s
121 markmedium
Extended Tier Only
A sheet of ice floats on water. A source of sound S is positioned at the edge of the ice sheet.
Four microphones are placed equal distances from S.
Which microphone detects the sound from S first?
Choose your answer
131 markmedium
The diagram represents a sound wave.
The sound wave changes from X to Y
Which statement about the sound wave is correct?
Choose your answer
The amplitude of the wave is increasing.
The frequency of the wave is decreasing.
The pitch of the sound is increasing.
The volume of the sound is decreasing.
141 markmedium
Student X fires a starting pistol which produces smoke and sound. Student Y is standing 100 m away and sees the smoke the instant it is produced. The speed of sound in air is 340 m / s.
What is the time delay between student Y seeing the smoke and hearing the sound?
Choose your answer
0.29 s
0.59 s
1.7 s
3.4 s
151 markmedium
A siren on an ambulance produces a loud, high-pitched sound.
The loudness of the siren is then decreased, and the pitch is lowered.
What happens to the amplitude and the frequency of the sound wave?
| amplitude | frequency | |
|---|---|---|
| A | decreases | decreases |
| B | decreases | increases |
| C | increases | decreases |
| D | increases | increases |
Choose your answer
161 markhard
In a common secondary school demonstration, a speaker is placed next to a lighted match.
A loud sound wave is played through the speaker, causing the flame to vibrate.
What type of wave is emitted from the speaker, and in which direction does the flame vibrate?
| wave type | direction of vibration | |
|---|---|---|
| A | transverse | ↔️ |
| B | longitudinal | ↔️ |
| C | transverse | ↕️ |
| D | longitudinal | ↕️ |
Choose your answer
171 markhard
Extended tier only
A fishing boat uses sonar to locate a shoal of fish. The sonar system sends a pulse of sound towards the shoal. When it hits the shoal, the sound wave is reflected and picked up by a detector underneath the ship.
The speed of sound in water is 1500 m/s.
The pulse of sound waves is received 0.48 s after it is emitted.
How far from the boat is the shoal of fish?
Choose your answer
1563 m
3125 m
720 m
360 m
181 markhard
In the olympic 100 m sprint final, a starting pistol is used to tell the sprinters when to start.
A spectator, sitting in the viewing area 300 m away sees the smoke from the pistol 0.86 s before hearing the bang. The spectator has exceptionally keen reactions and a very accurate internal clock.
Using only this information, what is the speed of sound in air?
Choose your answer
349 m/s
330 m/s
258 m/s
698 m/s
191 markhard
A walker can see a cliff face some distance away, and wants to estimate how far away it is.
He makes a loud noise, and times how long it takes the echo to come back. It takes 1.8 s.
If the speed of sound is 345 m/s, how far away is the cliff?
Choose your answer
192 m
96 m
621 m
311 m
201 markhard
Extended tier only
Ultrasound is high-pitched and cannot usually be heard by human ears. However, ultrasound does have many uses.
Which statement, or statements, in the list below are correct uses of ultrasound?
- Testing materials to find breaks or other damage
- Medical scanning of organs and soft tissues
- Radar systems to find distance and velocity
Choose your answer
1 only
1 and 2
2 and 3
1, 2 and 3
211 markhard
A student stands at a distance from a wall. He claps his hands and hears an echo later.
What is the approximate value of ?
Choose your answer