Tabla: Fig. 13.1: Some Musical Instruments
Tabla: Fig. 13.1: Some Musical Instruments
H
ow do you come to know that a Sound plays an important role in our
‘period’ is over in your school? life. It helps us to communicate with one
You come to know easily that another. We hear a variety of sounds in
someone is at your door when he knocks our surroundings.
or you hear the sound of the doorbell. Make a list of sounds you hear in
Most of the time you can make out that your surroundings.
someone is approaching you by just In the music room of your school you
hear the sounds made by musical
hearing the foot steps.
instruments like flute, tabla,
You might have played a game called
harmonium etc. (Fig 13.1).
hide and seek. In this game a person is How is sound produced? How does it
blind-folded and has to catch the travel from one place to another ? How
remaining players. How is the blind- do we hear sound? Why are some sounds
folded person able to guess which player louder than others? We shall discuss
is closest to her? such questions in this chapter.
Tabla
Sitar
Flute
Harmonium
Activity 13.3
Take a metal dish. Pour water in it.
Strike it at its edge by a spoon (Fig.
13.4). Do you hear a sound? Again
strike the plate and then touch it.
Can you feel the dish vibrating?
Strike the dish again. Look at the
Fig. 13.2 : Striking a frying pan
surface of water. Do you see any
Again strike the plate with the stick waves there? Now hold the dish.
and hold it tightly with your hands What change do you observe on the
immediately after striking. Do you surface of water? Can you explain
still hear the sound? Touch the the change? Is there a hint to
plate after it stops producing sound. connect sound with the vibrations
Can you feel the vibrations now? of a body?
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Table 13.1 : Musical instruments and
their Vibrating Parts.
(a)
(b)
Fig. 13.9 (a), (b) : Working of vocal cords Fig. 13.10 : Sound needs a medium to travel
SOUND 163
opening between your hands. Place your ear gently on the water
Indicate to your friend to give a ring surface (Fig. 13.11). (Be careful :
again. Listen to the ring while water should not enter in your ear).
sucking air from the tumbler. Can you hear the sound of the bell?
Does the sound become fainter Does it indicate that sound can
as you suck? travel through liquids?
Remove the tumbler from your
mouth. Does the sound become
loud again?
Oh ! That is how whales
Can you think of an explanation? Is and dolphins might be
it possible that the decreasing amount communicating under
of air in the tumbler had something to water.
do with decreasing loudness of the ring?
Let us find out if sound can travel
Indeed, if you had been able to suck
through solids also.
all the air in the tumbler, the sound would
stop completely. Actually, sound needs a
Activity 13.9
medium to travel. When air has been
removed completely from a vessel, it is said Take a metre scale or a long metal
that there is vacuum in the vessel. The rod and hold its one end to your
sound cannot travel through vacuum. ear. Ask your friend to gently
Does sound travel in liquids? Let us scratch or tap the other end of the
find out. scale (Fig. 13.12).
Activity 13.8
Take a bucket or a bathtub. Fill it
with clean water. Take a small bell
in one hand. Shake this bell inside
the water to produce sound. Make
sure that the bell does not touch
the body of the bucket or the tub.
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You can also perform the above 13.4 We hear Sound through
activity by placing your ear at one end Our Ears
of a long wooden or metallic table and
asking your friend to gently scratch the The shape of the outer part of the ear is
other end of the table (Fig. 13.13). like a funnel. When sound enters in it,
it travels down a canal at the end of
which a thin membrane is stretched
tightly. It is called the eardrum. It
performs an important function. To
understand what the eardrum does, let
us build a tin can model of the eardrum.
Activity 13.10
Take a tin can. Cut its ends. Stretch
a piece of rubber balloon across one
Fig. 13.13 : Sound can travel through solids
end of the can and fasten it with a
We find that sound can travel rubber band. Put four or five grains
through wood or metal. In fact, sound of dry cereal on the stretched rubber.
can travel through any solid. You can Now ask your friend to speak
perform interesting activities to show “Hurrey, Hurrey” from the open end
that sound can also travel through (Fig.13.15). Observe what happens
strings. Recall if you made a toy to the grain. Why do the grains
telephone (Fig. 13.14). Can you say that jump up and down?
the sound can travel through strings?
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The eardrum is like a stretched You have already learnt in earlier classes
rubber sheet. Sound vibrations make about the oscillatory motion and its
the eardrum vibrate (Fig. 13.16). The time period.
eardrum sends vibrations to the inner The number of oscillations per
ear. From there, the signal goes to the second is called the frequency of
brain. That is how we hear. oscillation. Frequency is expressed in
hertz. Its symbol is Hz. A frequency of
1 Hz is one oscillation per second. If an
object oscillates 20 times in one second,
what would be its frequency?
You can recognise many familiar
sounds without seeing the objects
producing them. How is it possible?
These sounds must be different to
enable you to recognise them. Have you
ever thought what factors make them
different? Amplitude and frequency are
two important properties of any sound.
Can we differentiate sounds on the basis
of their amplitudes and frequencies?
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Compare the sound of a baby with
Hear the sound produced. Now bang
that of an adult. Is there any difference?
the spoon on the tumbler and hear
Even if two sounds are equally loud,
the sound produced again. Is the
they differ in some way. Let us see how.
sound louder when the tumbler is
struck hard?
Now suspend a small thermocole I wonder why my voice
ball touching the rim of the tumbler is different from that of
(Fig. 13.17). Vibrate the tumbler by my teacher.
striking it. See how far the ball is
displaced. The displacement of the The frequency determines the
ball is a measure of the amplitude shrillness or pitch of a sound. If the
of vibration of the tumbler. frequency of vibration is higher we say
Now, strike the tumbler gently that the sound is shrill and has a higher
and then with some force. Compare pitch. If the frequency of vibration is
the amplitudes of vibrations of the lower, we say that the sound has a lower
tumbler in the two cases. In which pitch. For example, a drum vibrates with
case is the amplitude larger? a low frequency. Therefore, it produces
Normal breathing 10 dB
Soft whisper (at 5m) 30 dB
Normal conversation 60 dB
Busy traffic 70 dB
Average factory 80 dB
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a low-pitched sound. On the other 13.7 Noise and Music
hand, a whistle has a high frequency
We hear different types of sounds
and therefore, produces a sound of
around us. Is the sound always
higher pitch (Fig. 13.18). A bird makes
pleasing? Does a sound sometimes
a high-pitched sound whereas a lion
cause discomfort to you? Some sounds
makes a low-pitched roar. However, the
are pleasant to the ear, whereas some
roar of a lion is very loud while the are not.
sound of the bird is quite feeble. Suppose construction work is going
Every day you hear the voices of on in your neighbourhood. Are the
children and adults. Do you find any sounds coming from the construction
difference in their voices? Can you say site pleasing? Do you enjoy the sounds
that the frequency of the voice of a child produced by horns of buses and trucks?
is higher than that of an adult? Usually Such unpleasant sounds are called
the voice of a woman has a higher noise. In a classroom, if all the students
frequency and is shriller than that of a speak together, what would the sound
man. produced be called?
On the other hand you enjoy sounds
13.6 Audible and Inaudible from musical instruments. Musical
Sounds sound is one which is pleasing to the
ear. Sound produced by a harmonium
We know that we need a vibrating body
is a musical sound. The string of a sitar
for the production of sound. Can we
also gives out a musical sound. But, if
hear the sound of all vibrating bodies?
a musical sound becomes too loud,
The fact is that sounds of frequencies
would it remain melodious?
less than about 20 vibrations per second
(20 Hz) cannot be detected by the human 13.8 Noise Pollution
ear. Such sounds are called inaudible.
On the higher side, sounds of frequencies You already know about air pollution.
higher than about 20,000 vibrations per Presence of unwanted gases and
second (20 kHz) are also not audible to particles in air is called air pollution.
the human ear. Thus, for human ear, Similarly, presence of excessive or
the range of audible frequencies is unwanted sounds in the environment
roughly from 20 to 20,000 Hz. is called noise pollution. Can you list
some sources of noise pollution? Major
Some animals can hear sounds of causes of noise pollution are sounds of
frequencies higher than 20,000 Hz. vehicles, explosions including bursting
Dogs have this ability. The police use of crackers, machines, loudspeakers etc.
high frequency whistles which dogs can What sources in the home may lead to
hear but humans cannot. noise? Television and transistor radio
The ultrasound equipment, familiar at high volumes, some kitchen
to us for investigating and tracking appliances, desert coolers, air
many medical problems, works at conditioners, all contribute to noise
frequencies higher than 20,000 Hz.
pollution.
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What are the harms of noise must be installed in air craft engines,
pollution? transport vehicles, industrial
Do you know that presence of machines and home appliances.
excessive noise in the surroundings may How can the noise pollution be
cause many health related problems. controlled in a residential area?
Lack of sleep, hypertension (high blood- The noisy operations must be
pressure), anxiety and many more health conducted away from any residential
disorders may be caused by noise area. Noise producing industries
pollution. A person who is exposed to a should be set up away from such
loud sound continuously may get areas. Use of automobile horns
temporary or even permanent should be minimised. TV and music
impairment of hearing. systems should be run at low
volumes. Trees must be planted along
Measures to Limit Noise Pollution the roads and around buildings to
To control noise, we must control the cut down on the sounds reaching the
sources of noise. How can this be residents, thus reducing the harmful
achieved? For this, silencing devices effects of noise pollution.
Hearing Impairment
The total hearing imparment, which is rare, is usually from birth itself. Partial
disability is generally the result of a disease, injury or age. Children with impaired
hearing need special care. By learning sign language, such children can
communicate effectively. Because speech develops as the direct result of hearing,
a child with a hearing loss may have defective speech also. Technological devices
for the hearing-impared have made it possible for such persons to improve their
quality of life. Society can do much to improve the living environment for the
hearing-impaired and help them live normal lives.
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KEYWORDS WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT
AMPLITUDE Sound is produced by vibrating objects.
In human beings, the vibration of the vocal
AUDIBLE
cords produces sound.
EARDRUM Sound travels through a medium (gas, liquid
or solid). It cannot travel in vacuum.
HERTZ (Hz)
The eardrum senses the vibrations of sound,
LARYNX It sends the signals to the brain. This process
is called hearing.
LOUDNESS
The number of oscillations or vibrations per
NOISE second is called the frequency of oscillation.
The frequency is expressed in hertz (Hz)
OSCILLATION
Larger the amplitude of vibration, louder is
PITCH the sound.
Higher the frequency of vibration, the higher
SHRILLNESS
is the pitch, and shriller is the sound.
TIME PERIOD Unpleasant sounds are called noise.
Excessive or unwanted sounds lead to noise
VIBRATION pollution. Noise pollution may pose health
Exercises
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3. In the following statements, tick T against those which are true, and F
EXERCISES against those which are false:
(a) Sound cannot travel in vacuum. (T/F)
(b) The number of oscillations per second of a vibrating object is called
its time period. (T/F)
(c) If the amplitude of vibration is large, sound is feeble. (T/F)
(d) For human ears, the audible range is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. (T/F)
(e) The lower the frequency of vibration, the higher is the pitch. (T/F)
(f) Unwanted or unpleasant sound is termed as music. (T/F)
(g) Noise pollution may cause partial hearing impairment. (T/F)
4. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
(a) Time taken by an object to complete one oscillation is called
................... .
(b) Loudness is determined by the .........................of vibration.
(c) The unit of frequency is..........................
(d) Unwanted sound is called ......................... .
(e) Shrillness of a sound is determined by the ................. of vibration.
13. Lightning and thunder take place in the sky at the same time and at the
same distance from us. Lightning is seen earlier and thunder is heard
later. Can you explain?
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Extended Learning — Activities and Projects
1. Visit the music room of your school. You may also visit musicians
in your locality. Make a list of musical instruments. Note down the
parts of these instruments that vibrate to produce sound.
Fig. 13.19
5. Make two toy telephones. Use them as shown in Fig. 13.20. Make
sure that the two strings are taut and touch each other. Let one of
you speak. Can the remaining three persons hear? See how many
more friends you can engage in this way. Explain your observations.
Fig. 13.20
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6. Identify the sources of noise pollution in your locality. Discuss with
your parents, friends and neighbours. Suggest how to control noise
pollution. Prepare a brief report and present it in the class.
You can read more on the related topics on the following websites:
www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/sound/soundtoc.html
health.howstuffworks.com/hearing.htm
www.jaltarang.com for jaltarang
www.tempro/com/articles/hearing.html
www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/sciences/physics/mainpage.htm
Golconda fort
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