1

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

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

[Total: 1]

2 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]

3 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]
 2

4 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]

5 The diagram shows a small submarine submerged below the surface of the sea.

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]

 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]

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

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

[Total: 1]

7 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]

8 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]

9 The figure (not to scale) shows two tall buildings, A and B, that are 99 m apart.
 4

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]

(b) the third echo.

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

[Total: 3]
 5

10 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]

11 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]
 6

12 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]

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

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

[Total: 1]

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

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

[Total: 2]

15 State a possible frequency for an ultrasound wave.

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

[Total: 1]

16 State the meaning of the term ultrasound.

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

[Total: 1]
 7

17 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]

18 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]
 8

19 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.

(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]

20 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]
 9

[Total: 1]

21 A long spring is fixed at one end, as shown in the diagram. The spring is moved towards and away
from the fixed end, repeatedly. The compressions and rarefactions on the spring at a particular
time can be seen.

(a) State the type of wave in the spring.

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

(b) State one other example of this type of wave.

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

(c) Use the scale in the diagram to determine the wavelength of the wave in the spring.

wavelength = .............................................. cm [1]

[Total: 3]

22 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]
 10

23 A student listens to two different sounds, P and Q.

The two different sounds are represented on a computer screen on the same scale.

The diagram shows the screens.

State and explain how sound P is different from sound Q.

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

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

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

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

[Total: 3]
 11

24 The diagram represents the sound wave produced by a tuning fork.

A second tuning fork produces a different sound.

Compared with the sound represented in the diagram, this sound is quieter and has half the
frequency.

On the diagram, draw the wave to show the sound produced by the second tuning fork. [2]

[Total: 2]

25 The diagram shows a tuning fork and a wooden block.

(a) The tuning fork is hit against the wooden block and then makes a sound.

Describe how the tuning fork produces the sound.

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

........................................................................................................................................... [1]
 12

(b) The tuning fork produces a sound with a frequency of 659 Hz.

State whether a healthy human ear can hear this frequency of sound. Explain your answer.

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

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

[Total: 3]

26 A vibrating source on a ship produces a sound wave that travels through the ocean. The wave
produced is a longitudinal wave.

Explain what is meant by the term longitudinal wave.

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

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

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

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

[Total: 3]

27 The diagram represents a sound wave of wavelength 0.45 m travelling from left to right.

(a) On the diagram, at the centre of a compression, mark a cross and label it C. [1]

(b) On the diagram, at the centre of a rarefaction, mark a cross and label it R. [1]

(c) On the diagram, draw a double-headed arrow to represent a distance of 0.90 m. [1]

[Total: 3]

28 Humans, elephants, mice and dolphins have different hearing ranges. The diagram shows the
hearing range for each type of animal.
 13

(a) State the lowest frequency of sound that can be heard by mice.

.................................................................................................................................... H z [1]

(b) State the highest frequency of sound that can be heard by elephants.

.................................................................................................................................... H z [1]

(c) Explain how the chart shows that elephants can hear some sounds that humans cannot hear.

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

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

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

(d) State the term given to the high frequencies that dolphins can hear but humans cannot hear.

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

[Total: 5]

29 This question is about measuring the speed of sound in air.

A student stands in front of a large wall. She hits a drum and hears an echo. The diagram shows
the position of the student and the wall.
 14

(a) (i) State the name of a piece of equipment for measuring the distance from the student to
the wall.

................................................................................................................................ [1]
(ii) Explain how sound forms an echo.

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

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

(b) The student hits her drum repeatedly once per second. She walks away from the wall and
listens for the echo. When the student is 170 m from the wall she hears the echo from one
beat of the drum at the same time as the next beat of the drum.

Use this information to determine the speed of sound. State the unit.

speed = ........................... [4]

[Total: 6]
 15

30 A group of students wants to determine the speed of sound in air.

Describe a method they can use. State the measurements they need to make.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

.................................................................................................................................................. [4]

[Total: 4]

31 A student finds that it takes sound 0.33 seconds to travel 100 metres.

From this information, what is the speed of sound?

A 30 m / s B 60 m / s C 300 m / s D 600 m / s
[1]

[Total: 1]

32 A student stands 180 m in front of a vertical, flat cliff and bangs together two pieces of wood to
make a short, loud sound.

A timer records the echo of the sound 1.5 seconds after the pieces of wood are banged together.

Based on this result, what is the speed of sound?

A 120 m / s B 240 m / s C 270 m / s D 540 m / s

[1]

[Total: 1]
 16

33 A sound wave travels from a medium in one state into the same medium but in another state.
This causes the speed of the wave to change from approximately 300 m / s to approximately
3000 m / s.

Between which two states is the sound wave travelling?

A gas to solid
B liquid to gas
C liquid to solid
D solid to liquid
[1]

[Total: 1]

34 A machine pushes a metal post into the ground using a hammer, as shown in the diagram. The
hammer makes a loud noise when it hits the post.

A man stands 160 m from the hammer.

(a) A man sees the hammer hit the post and a short time later hears the sound of the post being
hit. Explain the delay in hearing the sound.

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

........................................................................................................................................... [1]
 17

(b) (i) The hammer is 320 m from a large building as shown in the diagram.

The man hears the hammer hit the post and then hears an echo. Explain why he hears
the echo.

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

................................................................................................................................ [1]
(ii) The speed of sound in air is 320 m / s.

Calculate the time difference between the man hearing the first sound and the time at
which he hears the echo.

time difference = ................................................. [3]

(c) Suggest how the sound of the echo is different from the first sound.

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

[Total: 6]

35 The diagram shows some equipment used in a demonstration.

 18

The glass jar is connected to a vacuum pump. The electric bell is switched on. The observers see
and hear the bell working.

(a) The vacuum pump removes air from the glass jar. State what the observers see and what they
hear after the air is removed.

observers see ...................................................................................................................

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

observers hear .................................................................................................................

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

(b) State what the demonstration in (a) shows about the transmission of sound waves.

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

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

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

(c) When the bell is working, the hammer strikes the gong. Describe how the gong produces the
sound.

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

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

[Total: 5]
 19

36 The left-hand column of the table shows some possible speeds of a sound wave.

In the right-hand column, write down the medium in which a sound wave has this speed.

Choose from solid, liquid or gas.

medium

1500

5000

300

[2]

[Total: 2]

37 A loudspeaker is built into the side of a swimming pool. The loudspeaker produces sound waves
in the water of wavelength 0.25 m.

(a) The frequency of the sound waves is 6.0 kHz.

Calculate the speed of the sound waves in water

speed of sound waves in water = .......................................................... [2]

(b) State a typical value for the speed of sound in air.

speed of sound in air = ............................................................ [1]

(c) State and explain, for the sound produced by the loudspeaker, how the wavelength of the
sound in air compares with the wavelength of the sound in water.

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

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

[Total: 4]
 20

38 A sound wave in air consists of alternate compressions and rarefactions along its path.

Explain how a compression differs from a rarefaction.

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

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

[Total: 1]

39 A sound wave in air consists of alternate compressions and rarefactions along its path.

Explain, in terms of compressions, what is meant by the wavelength of the sound.

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

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

[Total: 1]

40 A sound wave in air consists of alternate compressions and rarefactions along its path.

Explain, in terms of compressions, what is meant by the frequency of the sound.

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

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

[Total: 1]