KS2 Sound Quiz: Explore the Wonders of Acoustics

Science Quiz - Sound (Questions)

Let's explore the amazing world of sound with this KS2 Science quiz! Sound happens when things vibrate in the air, like when someone plays a guitar. Our ears catch these vibrations, and signals are sent to our brains, letting us hear the sound.

Guitars have strings that vibrate to make different sounds - low, medium, and high pitch. Sound travels best through solids, even better than through air! And guess what? Sound can bounce off things, making echoes. Do you know how instruments make high or low sounds or what measures sound volume? Test your sound smarts with this cool KS2 Science quiz!

Quizzes: The Path to Smart and Happy Kids. Learn More

What can sound travel through?

[ ]	Air
[ ]	Water
[ ]	Walls
[ ]	All of the above

When a sound wave hits your ear, it makes the air in your ear vibrate. These vibrations cause what part of your body to vibrate?

[ ]	Your auditory nerve
[ ]	Your ear drum
[ ]	Your aorta
[ ]	Your retina

When something vibrates quickly, it makes high frequency waves. You hear this as what kind of sound?

[ ]	A high pitch
[ ]	A low pitch
[ ]	A medium pitch
[ ]	A G sharp

Which musical instruments produce lower pitches?

[ ]	Shorter or thinner instruments
[ ]	Larger or thicker instruments
[ ]	Brass instruments
[ ]	Woodwind instruments

Which unit is sound frequency measured in?

[ ]	Amps
[ ]	Joules
[ ]	Hertz
[ ]	Heinz

Which unit is the intensity (loudness) of a sound measured in?

[ ]	Decibels
[ ]	Crucibles
[ ]	Multiples
[ ]	Degrees

Sound waves can be reflected off solid objects. When this happens, what do we hear?

[ ]	Music
[ ]	An echo
[ ]	Thunder
[ ]	No sound

Sound waves can be reflected, transmitted or what else?

[ ]	Bounced
[ ]	Deflected
[ ]	Transcribed
[ ]	Absorbed

Which travels fastest, light or sound?

[ ]	Light travels faster than sound
[ ]	Light and sound travel at the same speed
[ ]	Sound always travels faster than light
[ ]	Sound sometimes travels faster than light

10.

Why does a guitar produce a lower pitch when you do not press any fingers against a string while plucking it?

[ ]	A shorter string produces a lower pitch
[ ]	A shorter string produces a louder sound
[ ]	A longer string produces a higher pitch
[ ]	A longer string produces a lower pitch

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Sound

Science Quiz - Sound (Answers)

What can sound travel through?

[ ]	Air
[ ]	Water
[ ]	Walls
[x]	All of the above

Sound can travel through anything that can vibrate - this is described as the 'transmission' of sound

When a sound wave hits your ear, it makes the air in your ear vibrate. These vibrations cause what part of your body to vibrate?

[ ]	Your auditory nerve
[x]	Your ear drum
[ ]	Your aorta
[ ]	Your retina

The ear drum makes three tiny bones move and these pass the vibrations on to the cochlea. The cochlea sends signals to the brain which we hear as sound

When something vibrates quickly, it makes high frequency waves. You hear this as what kind of sound?

[x]	A high pitch
[ ]	A low pitch
[ ]	A medium pitch
[ ]	A G sharp

High frequency vibrations make high pitched sounds and low frequency vibrations make low pitched sounds

Which musical instruments produce lower pitches?

[ ]	Shorter or thinner instruments
[x]	Larger or thicker instruments
[ ]	Brass instruments
[ ]	Woodwind instruments

Large, thick, or loose strings also produce a lower pitch, as do longer instruments or strings

Which unit is sound frequency measured in?

[ ]	Amps
[ ]	Joules
[x]	Hertz
[ ]	Heinz

1 Hertz = 1 vibration per second

Which unit is the intensity (loudness) of a sound measured in?

[x]	Decibels
[ ]	Crucibles
[ ]	Multiples
[ ]	Degrees

Sounds above 85 decibels can damage your ears - concerts, loud MP3s and motorbikes all reach levels higher than this

Sound waves can be reflected off solid objects. When this happens, what do we hear?

[ ]	Music
[x]	An echo
[ ]	Thunder
[ ]	No sound

Have you ever heard your voice echo? Large, empty rooms, such as in a cathedral, are great places for echoes

Sound waves can be reflected, transmitted or what else?

[ ]	Bounced
[ ]	Deflected
[ ]	Transcribed
[x]	Absorbed

Soft, flexible, fibrous materials can often absorb sound - these materials are good for soundproofing

Which travels fastest, light or sound?

[x]	Light travels faster than sound
[ ]	Light and sound travel at the same speed
[ ]	Sound always travels faster than light
[ ]	Sound sometimes travels faster than light

Light travels faster than sound - 874,000 times faster!

10.

Why does a guitar produce a lower pitch when you do not press any fingers against a string while plucking it?

[ ]	A shorter string produces a lower pitch
[ ]	A shorter string produces a louder sound
[ ]	A longer string produces a higher pitch
[x]	A longer string produces a lower pitch

The shorter you make the string (by pressing your finger against it), the higher pitch you will hear when you pluck the string