1

1 This question is about the following four types of wave.

infrared microwaves ultrasound radio waves

Answer the question, choosing words from this list.

State which of the types of wave is used to produce an image of an unborn baby.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

2 A sound wave used for a medical examination has a frequency of 1.5 MHz.

State and explain what type of sound wave this is.

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

3 State a typical value of the speed of sound in water.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

4 Explain why sound travels faster in water than in air.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]
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5 The diagram shows an ultrasound wave being used to scan an internal organ of a human body.

ultrasound transmitter
and receiver

internal organ

ultrasound
wave

The ultrasound wave has a frequency of 2.0 MHz and passes through human tissue at a speed of
1500 m / s.

Calculate the wavelength of the ultrasound wave in human tissue.

wavelength = ..................................................... [3]

[Total: 3]

6 Sound waves consist of compressions and rarefactions.

Explain the terms compression and rarefaction. Give your explanation in terms of the spacing of
molecules and the pressure for sound waves in air.

compression .............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

rarefaction.................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [3]

[Total: 3]

7 The speed of sound in air is 340 m / s.

Calculate the range of wavelengths for sounds that are audible by a healthy human ear.

wavelengths range from ................................. to .................................

[2]
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[Total: 2]

8 Complete the following sentences.

An echo is the name for a reflected .................................................................. wave.

The waves that form an echo are a type of longitudinal wave. Longitudinal waves are

made up of .................................................................. and rarefactions. [2]

[Total: 2]

9 State a typical value for the speed of a sound wave in water.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

10 A sound wave of frequency 0.120 kHz travels through a rock at a speed of 3500 m / s.

The wave travels from the rock into the air.

State and explain whether the wave will be audible to a healthy human ear.

statement .................................................................................................................................

explanation ...............................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

11 A train travels along steel rails. A person waiting at a station hears the sound of the train through
the rails before he hears the sound through the air.

Explain why this happens.

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

12 The diagram shows a small submarine submerged below the surface of the sea.
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The submarine emits a pulse of sound to detect other objects in the sea. The speed of sound in
sea water is 1500 m / s. An echo is received with a time delay of 0.50 s after the original sound is
emitted.

(a) Calculate the distance between the submarine and the other object.

distance = .............................................. [3]

(b) Another pulse of sound is emitted through the air when the submarine is on the surface.

An echo is received from a second object that is in the air. This echo is received 0.50 s after
the pulse of sound is emitted.

Compare the distance of the second object from the submarine with the distance calculated
in (a). Tick one box. Give a reason for your answer.

distance is smaller

distance is the same

distance is larger

Reason ........................................................................................................................ [1]

[Total: 4]

13 A vibrating source on a ship produces a sound wave that travels through the ocean.
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The frequency of the sound wave is 800 Hz.

(a) The speed of sound in air is 330 m / s.

State a typical value for the speed of sound in a liquid.

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) Using your value from (a), calculate the wavelength of the sound wave in the ocean.

wavelength = .............................................. [2]

[Total: 3]

14 A sound wave has a wavelength of 0.45 m and its frequency is 750 Hz.

(a) Calculate the speed of the wave.

speed = .............................................. [2]

(b) Suggest a medium through which the sound wave is travelling and state your reasoning.

medium .............................................................................................................................

reason ...............................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

[Total: 3]

15 State a typical value for the speed of sound in air.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]
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16 Sound is a longitudinal wave.

Sketch a representation of a longitudinal wave. On your sketch

• indicate and label a distance to show the wavelength,

• mark and label the centre of one compression,
• mark and label the centre of one rarefaction.

[3]

[Total: 3]

17 Which wavefront is travelling at a speed closest to that of a sound wave through a solid?

A one that moves 10 m in 0.01 s

B one that moves 50 m in 0.5 s
C one that moves 1000 m in 100 s
D one that moves 2000 m in 2000 s
[1]

[Total: 1]

18 Sound waves of frequency 2.0 kHz travel through a substance at a speed of 800 m / s.

What is the wavelength of the waves?

A 0.40 m B 2.5 m C 400 m D 1600 m

[1]

[Total: 1]

19 At night, bats emit pulses of sound to detect obstacles and prey. The speed of sound in air is
340 m / s.
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(a) A bat emits a pulse of sound of wavelength 0.0085 m.

Calculate the frequency of the sound.

frequency = ....................................................... [2]

(b) State why this sound cannot be heard by human beings.

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

[Total: 3]

20 The figure (not to scale) shows two tall buildings, A and B, that are 99 m apart.

99 m

A B

33 m

A student stands at P so that his distance from building A is 33 m. After clapping his hands once,
he hears several echoes. The speed of sound in air is 330 m / s.

Calculate the time interval between clapping his hands and hearing

(a) the first echo,

time = ....................................................... [2]

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(b) the third echo.

time = ....................................................... [1]

[Total: 3]

21 The figure shows an electric bell ringing in a sealed glass chamber containing air.

to vacuum pump

bell

A student hears the bell ringing. The air is then removed from the chamber.

State and explain any change in the sound heard by the student.

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]
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22 Draw a straight line from each quantity on the left-hand side to a speed on the right-hand side which
is typical for that quantity.

speed of sound in gas 30 m / s

speed of sound in solid 300 m / s

3000 m / s

30 000 m / s

300 000 m / s

[2]

[Total: 2]

23 The figure shows how the displacement of air molecules, at an instant of time, varies with distance
along the path of a sound wave.

displacement

0
0 distance along path
of sound wave

(a) On the figure, sketch two cycles of a sound wave that has a shorter wavelength and a greater
amplitude.
[2]

(b) State two changes in the sound heard from this wave compared with the original wave.

1. .......................................................................................................................................

2. ....................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 4]
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24 State the range of audible frequencies for a healthy human ear. Include the unit.

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

25 The diagram shows a mobile (cell) phone.

The mobile phone produces sound waves.

The ring tone of the mobile phone consists of two musical notes, note A and note B.

Note A is louder and is higher in pitch than note B.

The diagram shows note A displayed on an oscilloscope screen.

Note B is displayed on the same oscilloscope screen as note A. Describe the differences between
the wave for note B and the wave for note A. You may draw on the diagram of the oscilloscope
screen to show the differences.

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

26 State a possible frequency for an ultrasound wave.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]
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[Total: 1]

27 State the range of audible frequencies for a healthy human ear. Include the unit.

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

28 The diagram represents the pressure at one instant along part of a sound wave.

On the diagram, draw a wave representing a louder sound of the same wavelength. [1]

[Total: 1]

29 State the meaning of the term ultrasound.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

30 Sound travels as a wave.

Complete each sentence.

Sound is produced when an object .............................. .

An echo is produced when sound is .............................. from a hard surface.

Compared with a quiet sound, a loud sound always has a greater ........................... .

Compared with a high pitched sound, a low pitched sound always has a smaller ....................... .

Waves transfer energy without transferring ............................................................................. .

[5]

[Total: 5]
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31 Tick four statements in the list below that are false for a sound wave that is audible to a healthy
human ear.

The wave is longitudinal.

The wave is transverse.

The frequency of the wave is 1 Hz.

The frequency of the wave is 1 kHz.

The frequency of the wave is 1 MHz.

The wave travels in a vacuum.

The wave could travel in aluminium.

[3]

[Total: 3]

32 A loudspeaker produces a sound with a frequency of 25 kHz.

A student with healthy ears cannot hear this sound. Explain why.

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]
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33 A boat race starts on the sea, but close to land. The diagram shows the boats at the start of the
race.

On the land, a cannon produces a loud bang to start the race.

The race is held close to a part of the coast with high cliffs. A sailor hears a second bang shortly
after the first bang.

State the term for the second bang and explain how it is produced.

term .........................................................

explanation ...............................................................................................................................

[2]

[Total: 2]

34 A boat race starts on the sea, but close to land. The diagram shows the boats at the start of the
race.

On the land, a cannon produces a loud bang to start the race. There is a flash of light at the same
time as the bang.
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(a) One of the sailors is 500 m from the cannon. She measures a time difference of 1.6 seconds
between seeing the flash of light and hearing the bang.

Calculate the speed of sound.

speed of sound = .............................................. m / s [3]

(b) The value of the speed of sound obtained in (a) is lower than expected.

Suggest a reason for this difference.

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

[Total: 4]

35 One difference between a longitudinal wave and a transverse wave is that a longitudinal wave
consists of compressions and rarefactions.

Explain the terms compression and rarefaction using ideas about particles.

compression .............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

rarefaction.................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]
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36 The diagram shows a loudspeaker that is producing a sound wave in air of frequency 15 000 Hz.

Describe how the cone of the loudspeaker produces this sound.

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [3]

[Total: 3]
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37 Light and sound both travel as waves.

Draw a line from each statement to the correct term that describes it. One has been done for you.

[5]

[Total: 5]
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38 Some students make statements about sound.

Only one statement is correct.

Place a tick in the box next to the correct statement.

An echo is produced when sound is diffracted.

An echo is produced when sound is refracted.

An echo is produced when sound is reflected.

[1]

[Total: 1]

39 Some students make statements about sound.

Only one statement is correct.

Place a tick in the box next to the correct statement.

Increasing the amplitude of a sound wave increases its speed.

Increasing the amplitude of a sound wave increases its frequency.

Increasing the amplitude of a sound wave increases its loudness.

[1]

[Total: 1]

40 A healthy human ear can hear a range of frequencies.

Three frequency ranges are shown.

Draw a ring around the range for a healthy human ear.

0 Hz—20 Hz 10 Hz—10 000 Hz 20 Hz—20 000 Hz

[1]

[Total: 1]