GCSE Science: Mastering Sound Waves and Their Properties

Science Quiz - Physics - Sound Waves (AQA) (Questions)

Explore how sound waves travel through solids, liquids and gases, how echoes and refraction happen, and why microphones and oscilloscopes help us see sounds we normally only hear.

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Fascinating Fact:

Sound reflects to make echoes and refracts when temperature or density changes in air or water.

In GCSE Science Physics, you study sound as a longitudinal wave that needs a medium, learn how speed and frequency affect pitch, and explore reflection, refraction and echoes in different materials.

Key Terms

Sound wave: A longitudinal wave caused by vibrations that travel through a medium such as air, water or solids.
Frequency: The number of wave vibrations each second, measured in hertz (Hz), which affects the pitch of the sound.
Echo: A reflected sound heard again after bouncing off a surface such as a wall or cliff.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is a sound wave in GCSE Physics?

In GCSE Physics, a sound wave is a longitudinal wave made by vibrations in a medium. Particles move backwards and forwards, transferring energy without the medium itself moving along.

How are echoes produced by sound?

Echoes happen when sound waves hit a surface and reflect back to your ears. If the delay is long enough, you hear the original sound and the reflection as separate sounds.

What does refraction of sound mean?

Refraction of sound is the change in direction or speed of a sound wave when it passes into a region with different temperature or density, such as warmer air or deeper water.

Try These Related Quizzes

Sound is a longitudinal wave. This means that the vibrations travel in which direction?

[ ]	At 90 degrees to the direction of the wave
[ ]	At 45 degrees to the wave
[ ]	In the same direction as the wave
[ ]	In the opposite direction to the wave

Sound of a short wavelength makes what kind of noise?

[ ]	High pitch
[ ]	Low pitch
[ ]	High volume
[ ]	Low volume

The Apollo mission astronauts on the surface of the Moon needed radios to talk to each other, even when they were standing beside one another. Why?

[ ]	Spacesuit material is too thick to hear through
[ ]	There is no atmosphere on the Moon
[ ]	The Moon is too noisy to allow a normal conversation
[ ]	The Moon has less gravity than Earth

Which of the following statements is true of an echo?

[ ]	An echo is someone in the distance repeating what you say
[ ]	An echo is only heard by the person who created it
[ ]	An echo is as loud as the original sound
[ ]	An echo is a sound wave that has been reflected

A student looked up the speed of sound for several different media and noticed a pattern - it was fastest in solids and slowest in gases. Which of the following statements is the correct reason for this?

[ ]	The particles of solids are denser than gases
[ ]	The particles of solids are less dense than gases
[ ]	The particles of solids are further apart than in gases
[ ]	The particles of solids are closer together than in gases

If you count the seconds between a flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder, then divide the time by three, you get the approximate distance in kilometers to the lightning. Why do you divide by three?

[ ]	Sound travels at 330 m/s
[ ]	Sound travels three times faster than light
[ ]	Sound travels at 3,000 m/s
[ ]	Light travels three times faster than sound

Which of the following pieces of equipment is not required to see a sound wave?

[ ]	Cathode-ray oscilloscope (CRO)
[ ]	Ripple tank
[ ]	Microphone
[ ]	Loudspeaker

Using an oscilloscope, if you heard two waves of identical pitch but one was louder than the other, what would you see?

[ ]	The crests of the louder wave would be closer together
[ ]	The crests of the louder wave would be taller
[ ]	The crests of the louder wave would be further apart
[ ]	The crests of the louder wave would be shorter

Sound waves diffract. What does this mean?

[ ]	As they pass an object or go through a gap that is approximately the same size or less than their wavelength, they spread out
[ ]	As they pass an object or go through a gap that is considerably smaller than their wavelength, they spread out
[ ]	As they pass an object or go through a gap that is much bigger than their wavelength, they spread out
[ ]	As they pass an object or go through a gap that is approximately the same size as their wavelength, they come together and get louder

10.

As a sound wave passes, the particles of the medium are alternately compressed and uncompressed. Areas where the particles are not compressed are called what?

[ ]	Decompressions
[ ]	Rarefactions
[ ]	Satisfactions
[ ]	Benefactions

Science Quiz - Physics - Sound Waves (AQA) (Answers)

Sound is a longitudinal wave. This means that the vibrations travel in which direction?

[ ]	At 90 degrees to the direction of the wave
[ ]	At 45 degrees to the wave
[x]	In the same direction as the wave
[ ]	In the opposite direction to the wave

The vibrations are in fact backwards and forwards in time with the vibration causing the sound

Sound of a short wavelength makes what kind of noise?

[x]	High pitch
[ ]	Low pitch
[ ]	High volume
[ ]	Low volume

A short wavelength means it is vibrating very quickly (has a high frequency)

The Apollo mission astronauts on the surface of the Moon needed radios to talk to each other, even when they were standing beside one another. Why?

[ ]	Spacesuit material is too thick to hear through
[x]	There is no atmosphere on the Moon
[ ]	The Moon is too noisy to allow a normal conversation
[ ]	The Moon has less gravity than Earth

Sound waves require particles to travel from one place to another

Which of the following statements is true of an echo?

[ ]	An echo is someone in the distance repeating what you say
[ ]	An echo is only heard by the person who created it
[ ]	An echo is as loud as the original sound
[x]	An echo is a sound wave that has been reflected

Hard, flat, smooth surfaces create the best echoes

[ ]	The particles of solids are denser than gases
[ ]	The particles of solids are less dense than gases
[ ]	The particles of solids are further apart than in gases
[x]	The particles of solids are closer together than in gases

Sound waves travel as vibrations so if the particles are closer and fixed in place, they can pass on the vibrations faster. Gases have a slower speed of sound as their particles are much further apart

[x]	Sound travels at 330 m/s
[ ]	Sound travels three times faster than light
[ ]	Sound travels at 3,000 m/s
[ ]	Light travels three times faster than sound

In three seconds sound will travel 990 metres, which is about a kilometer so dividing the total number of seconds by three gives you the approximate distance the sound will have travelled since it was made. On the surface of the Earth, you can regard light as travelling instantaneously (it could go right round the Earth's equator 7 times in a second)

Which of the following pieces of equipment is not required to see a sound wave?

[ ]	Cathode-ray oscilloscope (CRO)
[x]	Ripple tank
[ ]	Microphone
[ ]	Loudspeaker

You would also need a signal generator and amplifier to make the loudspeaker make a sound and to control the frequency of sound produced

Using an oscilloscope, if you heard two waves of identical pitch but one was louder than the other, what would you see?

[ ]	The crests of the louder wave would be closer together
[x]	The crests of the louder wave would be taller
[ ]	The crests of the louder wave would be further apart
[ ]	The crests of the louder wave would be shorter

The CRO displays sound waves as transverse waveforms. Louder waves carry more energy and therefore the crests will be taller than the quieter sound