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CLASS IX

PHYSICS

SOUND

A Pre-Foundation Program
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SP/Physics/Class-IX CH-5: SOUND

SOUND

5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.1 Introduction
In our day to day life we hear many sounds. Each sound is different
from the other in its own way. Some are faint, some are loud, some
are mild some are shrill, some are very weak. Each sound has its
5.2 Production of Sound own speciality. We quickly identify the sound after a long time,
even when that sound is heard only once before. Sound is a from of
energy so it needs a source to be produced.
5.3 Propagation of Sound
Question based on basic knowledge required to understand this
chapter
5.4 Waves
1. In humans, sound is produced by
(A) Oesophagus (B) Mouth
5.5 Audible Range (C) Larynx (D) Lungs
2. Sound is produced due to
(A) Rotation (B) Gravitation
5.6 Sonar (C) Vibration (D) Reflection
3. The sound can not travel through
(A) Air (B) Water
5.7 Characteristics of Sound (C) Vacuum (D) Oil
waves 4. The to & fro motion of an object is known as _________motion
(A) Rotatory (B) Circular
(C) Linear (D) Oscillatory
5. If T is the time period & F is the frequency then
1
(A) F  (B) F = T2
T
(C) F = T (D) F2 = T
6. Unit of frequency is
(A) m/s (B) m/s2
(C) Kg/m3 (D) Hertz
7. If a body completes 50 oscillations in 1 second, its frequency will be
(A) 2500 Hz (B) 50 Hz (C) 1/50 Hz (D) None

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8. The range of audible frequencies for normal human ear

(A) 20 Hz to 2000 Hz (B) 2 Hz to 20000 Hz
(C) 20 Hz to 20000 Hz (D) 2 Hz to 2000 Hz

Your Score Your Knowledge to understand

(1) 0–3 Unsatisfactory
(2) 4–6 Satisfactory
(3) 7 and above Good
Suggestion: If your knowledge comes under the category of ‘unsatisfactory’, then go through the following
topics from science book class-VIII sound chapter-13.

5.2 PRODUCTION OF SOUND

A common question which arises regarding sound is that how is it produced? What factors are responsible
for production of sound? Let us consider the following examples:
1. Take a scale and hold it firmly on the bench. Flick the other end it. We see that sound is produced. Look
at the end of the ruler. We see that the free end vibrates& produces some sound.
We see that eventually the scale comes to rest. At that time it does not produce any sound.
2. Tie one end of the rubber string to a rigid support. Pull the other end of the rubber string.
3. Place your fingers against your throat & speak. What do you observe?
In all the above cases we see that sound can be produced by plucking stretched rubber string, flicking a
thin ruler etc.
In all the above described activities, vibrations produced.
“Thus, all vibrating bodies produce sound”.
Also different types of vibrations produce different sound. Some vibration are visible to our naked eyes.
Others can just be felt.

5.3 PROPAGATION OF SOUND

We have learnt that vibrations produce sound. Thus we need a material (body) for producing vibrations.
It can also be said that a medium is required for sound to travel from one point to another. Sound can
travel through solids liquids & gases (or air). Sound can not travel through vacuum.
“The matter/substance through which sound is transmitted is called the MEDIUM”.
Take the glass jar connected to a vaccum pump. Place an electric bell inside it. Switch on the bell. We will
hear the sound. Now slowly suck out the air with the help of vaccum pump we will notice that sound fades
slowly and eventually we can not hear any sound. This shows that sound travels through air, not through
vacuum.
Now we know sound needs a medium to travel. But the medium must be a material medium, elastic &
continuous. It may be solid, liquid or gas.
Now let us see how sound travels through any medium.
Let us consider the following example. When any source produces sound the air closer to the source is
pushed in the direction of sound. As a result of it, the molecules in this layer of air get disturbed and start
vibrating about their mean positions. These vibrating molecules then disturb the adjacent molecules & the
process continues until the molecules nearest to the listeners’s ear start vibrating. These vibrating mol-
ecules then cause vibrations in the ear drum of the listeners ear. The vibrating diaphragm of the ear sends
signal to the brain.
Thus it is the disturbance, i.e. the vibratory motion of the molecules in the air, which travels from the

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source of sound to the listeners’s ear & not the air.

The movement of a disturbance produced in one part of a medium to another is called wave motion.
Therefore, sound is a wave motion. It means sound propagates as a wave.
Mechanism
A vibrating string produces sound. During the vibration, the string moves from an extreme position to
another around its mean position (Rest).
Now let us have a closer look to the mechanism.
When the string moves from position (3) to (1)the air in front of the string gets compressed & a pulse of
compression starts moving forward.

3 2 1

While returning from (1) to (3), the air behind it expands & a pulse of rarefraction strats moving forward.
If the string continues to vibrate a series of compressions & rarefractions are created during the propaga-
tion of sound & longitudiual waves are produced.

(a)

undisturbed air

(b)
Compression

Compression

(c)

Rarefraction

Rarefraction

(d)
Compression Compression

Direction of propagation of sound

5.4 WAVES
It is a common observation that ripples are formed when small object is dropped into a pond. The

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disturbance created by the stone in the water produces ripples which move toward the shore of the pond.
If we observe the motion of a leaf floating near the disturbance for a short while, we would see that the
leaf moves up & down about its original position, but does not move away with the disturbance.
It shows that the disturbance moves from one place to another but the water is not carried with it the
water particles simply move up & down about their mean positions.
“A periodic disturbance produced in a material medium due to the vibratory motion of the particles of the
medium is called a wave”
The movement of disturbance produced in one part of a medium to another invloving the transfer of
energy but not the transfer of matter is called wave motion.

5.4.1 Characteristics of wave motion

1. Particles of medium vibrate about their mean positions. They don’t move
2. It travels with same speed in all directions.
3. No transfer of matter takes place only energy is transferred.
Mechanical waves: The waves which need a material medium for their propagation are called mechani-
cal waves.
Non-mechanical waves: The waves which does not need a material medium for their propagation.
All waves: Mechanical & non-mechanical are classified into 2 types.
a. Longitudinal wave
b. Transverse wave

5.4.2 Longitudinal
A wave is which the particles of the medium oscillate (vibrate) to & fro about their mean position in the
direction of propagation of wave is called a longitudinal wave.
Particles of medium

direction of propagation
Sound waves are longitudinal waves as the air molecules oscillate about their mean position in the direc-
tion of propagation of sound wave.
The portions of the air in which the molecules are pulled apart & have a fewer amount of molecules per
unit volume than the normal wave are known as rarefraction (R).
The portions of the air in which the molecules are pushed closer & have large no. of molecules per unit
volume than the normal wave are known as compressions (C).

Rarefraction Rarefraction Rarefraction

Compression Compression

A compression has higher density of particles than normal wave where as rarefraction has a lower
density of particles than normal wave.
Longitudinal waves can be described graphically as:

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SP/Physics/Class-IX CH-5: SOUND

C C C C
density
R Normal density
R R
distance

5.4.3 Transverse wave

A wave in which the particles of the medium oscillate about their mean position perpendicular to the
direction of the propagation of the wave is called a transverse wave.
Transverse waves can not travel through gases.
For example: Ripples on water surface.

T
The point of maximum positive displacement on a transverse wave is called a crest. It is the highest point
on the hump in the transverse wave.
The point of maximum negative displacement on a transverse wave is called a trough. It is the lowest
point on the dipression in a transverse wave.

*5.4.4 Displacement Equation of a Progressive Wave

If due to the propagation of a wave, in a medium, the medium particles execute simple harmonic motion
then this wave is called as simple harmonic progressive wave.
In simple harmonic motion, the displacement of a particle from the mean position is given by the following
equation.
y = a sin t .....(i)
Here a is the amplitude,  the angular frequency and t is the time taken in the displacement y from the
mean position.
Suppose the wave vibrating according to this equation is produced at point A (Figure) and the disturbance,
produced, is transfered one by one, to the particles on right. Therefore, the displacement of the particles
on the right of paricle A will be the same, after a definite time, as that of the displacement A.

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For a wave propagating in x-direction let us consider a particle D situated at a distance x from A. The
x
wave will reach, from A to D, in time . Here v is the velocity of the wave.
v
Therefore, we can say that the particle displacement at point D at some instant of time was at point A
x  x  x
before the time i.e. at time t   . Therefore substituting t   in place of t in Equation (i), the
v  v  v
particle displacement will be
 x
y = a sin   t   .....(ii)
 v

2π 2π  x 
Since  =  y = a sin t   .....(iii)
T T  v
t x 
Also vT = ,  y = a sin 2    .....(iv)
 T vT 
 t x
or y = a sin 2    ....(v)
T λ 
This standard equation represents displacement of a particle because of the propagation of a wave in the
positive direction of X-axis. Equation can be written in different forms.
 2π t 2π x 
y = a sin   
 T λ 
or y = a sin (t – kx) .....(vi)
2π
Here k = is the propagation constant or the wave number..
λ
If the wave propagates along the negative direction of X-axis, then the standard equation for the displace-
ment of a particle will be the following
y = a sin (t + kx) .....(vii)
2π  λ  λ
or y = a sin  t  x  (as v = )
λ T  T
2π
 y = a sin (vt + x) .....(viii)
λ
In the above equation the direction of the displacement y can be along any of the axes x, y or z. If the
direction of the displacement, y, is along the direction of propagation (X-axis) of the wave then the above
equations will be for longitudinal waves. Similarly if the direction of the displacement, y, is along Y or
Z-axis then these equations will be for transverse waves.
Illustration 1
In the propagation of a wave, in a medium, the displacement of a particle is represented by the
equation y = 16 sin  (4.0 t – 0.08 x). If y, t and x are in millimetre, second and metre respectively,
then find the amplitude, wave length and the velocity of the wave.
Solution
According to the equation for the displacement of the particle
y = 16 sin (4.0t – 0.08x) or y = 16 sin (4t – 0.08 x)
Comparing this equation with the standard equation,
y = a sin (t – kx), for the displacement of the particle, we find  = 4, k = 0.08 
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Amplitude a = 16 mm.;
2π 2π
Wave length  = = = 25 metre.
k 0.08π
ω 4π
and the wave velocity v = = = 50 metre/sec.
k 0.08π

5.4.5 Characteristics of a wave:

A wave is characterised in terms of the following perameters.
(A) Phase (B) Amplitude (C) Frequency
(D) Wave velocity (E) Time period (F) Wave velocity
The simplest wave equation is
y = A sin (t + )
Where
A = Amplitude
 = Angular frequency
T = Time period
 = Initial phase
(A) Phase:
All points on a wave which are in the same state of vibration are said to be in the same phase.

B
I
C F J K
A
E
H
G
D

(1) A,E,I (2) B,F,J (3) C,G,K (4) D,H

(B) Amplitude:
The maximum displacement of the particles of a medium from thier mean position during the propagation
of a wave is called amplitude of the wave.
The amplitude of a wave is the height of the crest or the depth of troughs in a wave.
Its SI unit is metre (m).

A A

A A

Amplitude of the wave is measure of its energy therefore, the greater the amplitude of wave, the
greater is its energy.
(C) Frequency:
The number of waves produced per second is called its frequency i.e. the rate of which waves are
produced by a source.
Unit of frequency is hertz (Hz)
1 Hz = 1 wave cycle per second.

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Frequency is denoted by v (nu) or f.

T/2

T/2
T
Frequency = 1/T
Where T is the time period
PITCH is a quanity which is defined as the shrillness of any sound. It is defined in terms of frequency
of sound produced. The greater the frequency higher is its pitch & vice versa.
(D) Wavelength:
The distance between 2 nearest points, which are in the same phase, on a wave is called it wavelength.
We can say that wavelength is the distance between 2 consecutive troughs or crests.
Wavelength is denoted by ‘’ (Greek letter called lembda).

/2

(E) Time Period:

The time period required to produce one complete wave is called the time period. We also know that
distance of one complete wave is known as wavelength.
 Time period is the time taken by wave to travel through a distance equal to its wavelength.()
SI unit = second (s)
(F) Wave velocity:
The distance travelled by wave in one second is called velocity of wave.
distance travelled by wave
wave velocity 
time taken
wave length 
 
time period T
 1
u  Also v=
T T
u =  × v

5.4.6 Speed of sound in different mediums

We have seen that sound can travel through solids, liquids & gases. Sound travels at different speed in
different media the speed of sound depends on the following factors.
1. Nature of medium
Solids > Liquids > Gases

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2. Temperature
3. Pressure
The values of sound in some common media are:
Gases Speed (m/s)
Air (0 C)
o
331
Air (20 C)
o
343
Oxygen (0 C) o
317
Helium (0 C) o
972
Hydrogen (0 C) o
1286
Liquids Speed (m/s)
Water (25 C) o
1493
Sea water (25 C) o
1533
Methyl alcohol (25°C) 1143
Blood (37 C) o
1570
Solids Speed (m/s)
Aluminium (20 C) o
5700
Copper (20 C) o
3560
Iron (20 C)
o
5130
Vulcanised rubber (20 C)o
54
Glass (20 C)o
5170
Granit (20 C) o
6000

5.4.7 Reflection of sound

Sound waves like light waves also get reflected from plane & spherical surfaces. Sound waves obey
laws of reflection while reflecting..
Sound waves unlike light waves, do not need smooth surfaces for suffering reflection as they have
much longer wavelength.
Also to get an appreciable reflection, sound waves should have dimensions equal of larger than the
wavelength of the sound waves falling on it.

5.4.8 ECHO
“The sound returning back towards the source after suffering reflection from a distant obstacle
is called an echo”.
We have observed that when ever we shout from a hill top we hear our own words after a gap of time.
This is called Echo.
Two sounds- one direct & other echo can be heard distantly provided the distance between the
observer and the reflecting surface is large enough to allow the reflected sound to reach him without
interfering with the direct sound. Since the sensation of sound persists for 1/10 seconds after it is
produced the echo can be heard distantly only if it reaches after atleast 1/10 seconds after the original
sound is produced.
Now
Let distance between the observer & obstacle = d
Speed of sound (in the medium) = v
Time after which echo is heard = t

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2d vt
 t  or d 
v 2
Now speed of sound in air at 25oC = 342 m/s
For echo
t  0.1 S
2d
  0.1
v
0.1 v
d 
2
0.1 v
d 
2
d  17.2 m
Therefore, minimum distance between the observes & the obstacle for the echo to be heard clearly
shold be 17.2 m.

5.4.9 Multiple reflection (reverberation)

The repeated reflection that results in the persistance of sound in a large hall is called reverberation.
Excessive reverberation is not desirable as sound becomes blurred & distorted.
Reverberation is used in following applications
a. Megaphone b. trumpets
c. Stethoscope d. Sound boards
e. Curved cieling of concert hall.

5.5 AUDIBLE RANGE

The average frequency range over which the human ear is sensitive is called audible range or range of
hearing.
The human ear can hear sounds having frequency ranging between 20 Hz - 20000 Hz. These are called
audible waves.
Sounds waves having frequency lesser than 20 Hz are called infrasonic waves. Eg. earthquakes produce
infrasonic waves. Animals like elephant whales, rhinoceroses communicate using infrasonic waves.
The sounds having frequencies greater than 20000 Hz are called ultrasonic waves or ultrasound. Dogs.
bats etc can hear ultrasound. Bats & dolphins detect the presence of any obsctale by hearing the echo of
the sound produced by them.
Ultrasound has some following important applications.
a. For detecting flaws in the metal casting & automobile tyres.
b. In ultrasonic spectacles for blind people
c. For welding
d. For preparing new materials like alloys, catalysts etc.
e. For medical use - used to deted any deformity in the unborn baby.

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5.6 SONAR
Sonar is Sound Navigation Aud Ranging. It uses ultrasound to determine the depth of sea. A transmitter
on the ship sends ultrasound towards the sea bed & the reciever recieves the echo. From the time gap
between the 2 signals, the depth of the sea can be estimated.
Bats also use the principle of SONAR to locate any obstaele during their flight.
Human Ear:
Sound waves from outside reach the eardrum through the auditory canal. Sound waves on striking the
eardrum make it vibrate, these vibrations are passed to the oval window. They magnify the force of
vibration.
These vibrations affect the auditory nerves which send messages to the brain.
The ear is the organ of the body that detects sound waves. It is divided into three parts - the
outer ear, middle ear and inner ear.
The Outer Ear
When sound waves reach the outer ear some directly down the middle of the tube called the auditory
canal. At the end of the auditory canal is a thin membrane which stretches across it. This is called the
eardrum. When sound waves reach the eardrum they push and pull on it and make it vibrate.
The Middle Ear
In the cavity of the middle ear are three bones. They are called the hammer, anvil and stirrup, after
their shapes.
The middle ear aslo has a tube, the Eustachine tube, which connects to the throat.
The Inner Ear
The Inner ear is filled with a fluid. The vibrations of the stirrup set up waves in the fluid. There is a
membrane with delicate fibres in the cochlea. Each fibre only vibrates in response to a sound wave
with a particluar pitch. When a fibre vibrates it stimulates a nerve ending and a nerve impluse or
message is sent to the brain where we become aware of the sound.

5.7 CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND WAVES:

Sound is Characterised by three parameters:
(i) Pitch (ii) Loudness (iii) Quality
(i) Pitch : Pitch is the sensation (brain interpretation) of the frequency of an emitted sound and is the
characteristic which distinguishes a shrill (or sharp) sound from a grave (or flat) sound.
Faster the vibration of the source, higher is the frequency and higher is the pitch. Similarly low pitch
sound corresponds to low frequency. A high pitch sound is called a shrill sound (humming of a bee,
sound of guitar)
A low pitch sound is called a hoarse sound (roar of a lion, car horn)
Example :
(a) Pitch of female voice is higher than male.
(b) The loudness being the sensation, depends upon the sensitivity of the listener’s ear. Therefore,
loudness of a sound of given intensity may be different for different listeners. Similarly, two sounds of
equal intensity but different frequency may not appear to be equally loud even to the same listener
because the sensitivity of the ear is different for different frequencies.
(c) In a tape-recorder or TV, bass and treble refer to low and high pitch respectively. So at bass (or
woofer on), low pitch, i.e., grave sounds such as to ‘tabla’ or ‘dholak’ become loud while at treble, high
pitch, i.e., shrill sounds such as of flute or ‘ghoonghroo’ become loud.

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(ii) Loudness : Loudness or softness of a sound wave is the sensation that depends upon its amplitude.
The loudness of sound is a measure of the sound energy reaching the ear per second. When we strike
a table top with more force, it vibrates and produces loud sound waves which have more amplitude.
When struck with smaller force, vibrating table top produces soft sound waves which have less ampli-
tude. A loud sound wave carries more energy and can be heard at large distance. Reduction in ampli-
tude at large distance, makes the sound soft. In other words loudness is the snesation received by the
ear due to intensity [intensity of sound wave is the amount of sound energy(energy carried by sound
wave) passing per second normally through unit area] of sound.
In a record player if a record of 50 revolution per minute RPM, pitch will increase and sound will
become shriller. If the same record is played at 30 RPM, pitch will decrease and so sound will become
grave. The loudness of sound is measured in ‘decibel, dB. The loudness of sound of people talking
quietly is about 65 dB, the loudness of sound in a very noisy factory is about 100 dB. Intensity of sound
is the time rate at which the sound energy flows through a unit area.
The intensity and loudness are not the same. Intensity depends on the energy per unit area of the wave
and it is independent of the response of the ear, but the loudness depends on energy as well as on the
response of the ear.
Sound waves ofthe same intensity but of different frequencies usually have different loudness.
Knowledge Enhancer:
The energy transmitted by a wave depends upon the frequency as well as the amplitude. If the fre-
quency of a note is doubled, twice as many compressions and rarefactions strike the ear each second
and more energy is received. In fact the energy in a wave is proportional to both (frequency) 2 and
(amplitude)2
(iii) Quality (Timber) : Quality or timber of a sound wave is that characteristic which helps us in distin-
guishing one sound from another having same pitch and loudness. We recognise a person (without
seeing) by listening to his sound as it has a definite quality. A pure sound of single frequency is called a
tone.
An impure sound produced by mixture of many frequencies is called a note. It is pleasant to listen.
Notes of the same pitch played upon different musical instruments are distinguished from each other by
their quality.

Solved Examples
Example 1
A child hears an echo from a cliff 4 seconds after the sound from a powerful cracker is produced.
How far away is the cliff from the child? Velocity of sound in air at 20°C is 340 m/s.
Solution
Let the distance between the child and the cliff be d. Then,
Total distance travelled by the sound = 2d
Total time taken by the sound = 4 s
2d d
Then, Velocity of sound = 
4s 2s
d
340 m/s = 
2s
This gives, d = 340 m/s × 2 s = 680 m
Thus, the cliff is at a distance of 680 m from the child.

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EXERCISE-I
1. Name the types of waves which we encounter in daily life.
2. Explain wave motion.
3. What is transferred by wave motion from place to another matter or energy?
4. Can sound wave travel through vacuum?
5. Write 2 differences between longitudinal waves & transverse wave.
6. A stone is dropped on the surface of water in a pond. Name the type of waves produced.
7. Are sound waves longitudinal or transverse?
8. Write the general name of waves consisting of:
(i) Compressions & rarefractions (ii) Crests & troughs
9. A wave is propagating horizontally. In which direction do the particles of the medium vibrate if it is a
(i) Sound wave (ii) Water wave
10. Define wavelength of a wave. What is its SI unit.
11. How is the frequency of a periodic wave related to the time period of the wave?
12. The frequency of a sound wave is 200 Hz, find its time period.
13. What is echo?
14. What is the range of hearing in humans?
15. What is SONAR? On what principle it is based on?
16. Can sound travel through vaccum?
17. What name is given to the sound waves of frequency too low for humans to hear?
18. Write the full name of ‘SONAR’.
19. Name that part of ear which vibrates when outside sound falls on it.
20. Name the tube which connects the middle ear to throat.
21. What is the name of passage in outer ear which carries sound waves to the ear-drum?
22. Name the three tiny bones present in the middle part of ear.

EXERCISE-II
1. When the wire of guitar is plucked, what type of waves are produced in (a) air (b) wire give reasons.
2. A source of wave produces 40 crests & 40 trough in 0.4 seconds. Find the frequency of the wave.
3. Write down the relation between frequency (f), wavelength () & velocity (v) of a wave.
4. A tuning fork has a frequency of 256 Hz. It produces a sound wave of wavelength 1.3 m. What is the
velocity of sound in air?
5. A source is producing 25 waves in 5 seconds. The distance between a crest & a trough is 20 cm.
Find:
(a) Frequency (b) Wavelength (c) Velocity of wave
6. A boy can hear sounds having frequencies in the range 20 Hz to 20000 Hz. Calulate the longest wavelength
the boy can hear speed of sound in air is 330 m/s.
7. A submarine emits a SONAR pulse. If the speed of sound in water is 1531 m/s & the cliff is 78 m away.
Find the time taken by the pulse to reaturn back to the submarine.

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8. A body vibrates with a time period of 2 × 10–3 seconds to produce a wave having a velocity of 1250 m/s.
Calculate its wavelength.
9. On which day, a hot day or a cold day, an echo is heard sooner? Give reason for your answer.
10. What are infrasonic waves? Name two animals which produce infrasonic waves?
11. Write any three applications (or use) of ultrasound.
12. A sonar station picks up a return signal after 3 seconds. How far away is the object? (Speed of sound in
water = 1440 m/s).
13. What is the function of three tiny bones in the ear?
14. What is the difference between infrasonic waves and ultrasonic waves?
15. A wave is moving in air with a velocity of 340 m/s. Calculate the wavelength if its frequency is 512
vibrations/sec.
1
16. A body vibrating with a time-period of s produces a sound wave which travels in air with a velocity
256
of 350 m/s. Calculate the wavelength.

EXERCISE-III
SECTION-A
 Fill in the blanks
1. The waves which do not require any medium for propogation are called___________.
2. Sound is produced when a body is in a state of ___________________.
3. Waves motion in which particles of medium vibrate in the direction perpendicular to the direction of wave
propagation are called _________________waves.

SECTION-B
 Multiple choice question with one correct answers
1. The speed of a wave in a certain medium is 960 m/s. If 3600 waves pass over certain point of the medium
in 1 minute then the wavelength of wave is
(A) 2 metres (B) 4 metres (C) 8 metres (D) 16 metres
2. The equation of a progressive wave is Y = a sin (200 t - x) where x and y in metre and t in second. The
velocity of wave is:
(A) 200 m/sec (B) 100 m/sec (C) 50 m/sec (D) None of these
3. Sound waves in air are:
(A) Transverse (B) Longitudinal (C) De-Broglie waves (D) All of these
4. Sound waves of frequency greater than that of audible sound are called:
(A) Sonic sound (B) Seismic waves (C) Infrasonic waves (D) Ultrasonic waves
5. Velocity of sound in a gas is 360 ms and the distance between a compression and the nearest rarefraction
–1

is 1m. Then the frequency of sound (CPS):

(A) 90 (B) 720 (C) 180 (D) 360

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SP/Physics/Class-IX CH-5: SOUND

6. In wave motion:
(A) Particles of the medium travel from one place to other.
(B) Particles of the medium vibrate about their mean position.
(C) Particles of the medium do not vibrate.
(D) All are true
7. Sound waves are:
(A) Longitudinal (B) Transverse
(C) None of these (D) Both longitudinal and transverse
8. The audible frequency range is:
(A) 20 Hz to 2000 Hz (B) 10 Hz to 20 Hz
(C) 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (D) 20 Hz to 100 Hz

SECTION-C
 Assertion & Reason
Instructions: In the following questions as Assertion (A) is given followed by a Reason (R). Mark your
responses from the following options.
(A) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation of ‘Assertion’
(B) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is not the correct explanation of ‘Assertion’
(C) Assertion is true but Reason is false
(D) Assertion is false but Reason is true
1. Assertion: Sound propagates through air from one place to another.
Reason: Air particles carry the sound waves from one place to another.
2. Assertion: SONAR is a device use to determine the depth of sea.
Reason: Ultrasound is the sound having frequency greater than 20000 Hz.

SECTION-D
 Match the following (one to one)
Column-I and column-II contains four entries each. Entries of column-I are to be matched with some
entries of column-II. Only One entries of column-I may have the matching with the same entries of column-
II and one entry of column-II Only one matching with entries of column-I

1. In the wave equation y = 20 sin (5 t - 100x) m

Column I Column II
(A) Wavelength (P) 20
(B) Wave number (Q) 5
(C) Angular frequency (R) 100

(D) Amplitude (S)
50

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A Pre-Foundation Program
CH-5: SOUND SP/Physics/Class-IX

EXERCISE-IV
SECTION-A
 Multiple choice question with one correct answers

 x
1. The equation of a wave is represented y = 10-4 sin 100 t   m, the velocity the wave will be
 10 
(A) 10 ms-1 (B) 100 ms-1 (C) 1000 ms-1 (D) 0.1 ms-1
2. The equation of a transverse wave y = 10 sin (0.01 x - 2 t), where y and x in cm and t in s. Its frequency
is
(A) 10 s–1 (B) 2 s–1 (C) 1 s–1 (D) 0.01 s–1
3. The displacement of a progressive wave along Y-asis is described by the equation y = 5 sin (60 t + 2x).
Here x and y are in metres and t is in seconds. The wave represented by this equation has
π
(A) Wavelength equal to 2 metres (B) Time period of oscillation equal to seconds.
15
(C) A velocity equal to 30 m s–1 along the negative direction.
15
(D) Frequency equal to Hz
π

SECTION-B
 Multiple choice question with one or more than one correct answers
1. Wavelength is the distance between:
(A) 2 consecutive crests (B) 2 consecutive troughs
(C) Adjacent crest & trough (D) 2 Consecutive compressions or rarefrctions
2. If y = 20 sin [5t – 4x + tan (1)]
–1

Then
π π 2π
(A) φ  (B)   m (C) T  (D)  = /4 m
4 2 5
SECTION-C
 Comprehension
A wave equation is given by
  1 
y  0.01 sin 8t  6 x  sin 1    m
  2 
Then
1. The wave velocity in m/s is
(A) 48 (B) 0.75 (C) 1.33 (D) 0.48
2. The wavelength ‘’ in metre is
(A) 1.047 (B) 9.425 (C) 0.5 (D) 0.01
3. Time period in seconds is
(A) 8 (B) 0.392 sec (C) 6 (D) 0.787

PAGE # 17
SP/Physics/Class-IX CH-5: SOUND

EXERCISE-V
1. How does the sound produced by a vibrating object in a medium reach your ear?
2. Explain how sound is produced by your school bell.
3. Why are sound waves called mechanical waves?
4. Suppose you and your friend are on the moon. Will you be able to hear any sound produced by your friend?
5. Which wave property determines (a) loudness, (b) pitch?
6. Guess which sound has a higher pitch : guitar or car horn?
7. What are wavelength, frequency, time period and amplitude of a sound wave?
8. How are the wavelength and frequency of a sound wave realted to its speed?
9. Calculate the wavelength of a sound wave whose frequency is 220 Hz and speed is 440 m/s in a given
medium.
10. A person is listening to a tone of 500 Hz sitting at a distance of 450 m from the source of the sound. What
is the time interval between successive compressions from the source?
11. Distinguish between loudness and intensity of sound.
12. In which of the three media, air, water or iron, does sound travel the fastest at a particular temperature?
13. An echo returned in 3s. What is the distance of the reflecting surface from the source, given that the speed
of sound is 342 m s–1?
14. Why are the ceilings of concert halls curved?
15. What is the audible range of the average human ear?
16. What is the range of frequencies associated with (a) Infrasound? (b) Ultrasound?
17. A submarine emits a sonar pulse which returns from an underwater cliff in 1.02 s. If the speed of sound in
salt water is 1531 m/s, how far away is the cliff ?

EXERCISE-VI
1. A sound wave has a frequency of 2 kHz and wave length 35 cm. How long will it take to travel 1.5 km?
2. A person clapped his hands near a cliff and heard the echo after 5 s. What is the distance of the cliff from
the person if the speed of the sound, v is taken as 346 m s–1 ?
3. A ship sends out ultrasound that returns from the seabed and is detected after 3.42 s. If the speed of
ultrasound through seawater is 1531 m/s. what is the distance of the seabed from the ship?

PAGE # 18
A Pre-Foundation Program
CH-5: SOUND SP/Physics/Class-IX

Answers
Knowledge base questions

1. (C) 2. (C) 3. (C) 4. (D) 5. (A)

6. (D) 7. (B) 8. (C)
Exercise-II
2. 50 Hz 4. 332.2 m/sec 5. (i) 5 Hz (ii) 40 cm (iii) (2m/sec) 6. 16.5m
7. 0.102 sec 8. 2.5 m 12. 2160 m 15. 0.66 Hz 16. 1.36 m
Exercise-III
Section-A
1. Non-mechanical
2. Vibration
3. Transverse
Section-B
1. (D) 2. (A) 3. (B) 4. (D) 5. (C)
6. (B) 7. (A) 8. (C)
Section-C
1. (A) 2. (B)

Section-D
1. (A)-(S), (B)-(R), (C)-(Q), (D)-(P)

Exercise-IV
Section-A
1. (B) 2. (B) 3. (C)

Section-B
1. (A,B,D) 2. (A,B,C)

Section-C
1. (C) 2. (A) 3. (D)

Exercise-V
9. 2m 10. 0.002 sec 13. 513 m 17. 780.81 m

Exercise-VI
1. 2.1 sec. 2. 865 m. 3. 2618 m

PAGE # 19
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