Example _ Sound

2021
1. A sound wave is different than a light wave in that a sound wave is

a. produced by an oscillating object and a light wave is not.

b. not capable of traveling through a vacuum.
c. not capable of diffracting and a light wave is.
d. capable of existing with a variety of frequencies and a light wave has a single frequency.

2. A sound wave is a pressure wave; regions of high (compressions) and low pressure
(rarefactions) are established as the result of the vibrations of the sound source. These
compressions and rarefactions result because sound

a. is more dense than air and thus has more inertia, causing the bunching up of sound.
b. waves have a speed that is dependent only upon the properties of the medium.
c. is like all waves; it is able to bend into the regions of space behind obstacles.
d. is able to reflect off fixed ends and interfere with incident waves
e. vibrates longitudinally; the longitudinal movement of air produces pressure fluctuations.
1. A sound wave is different than a light wave in that a sound wave is

a. produced by an oscillating object and a light wave is not.

b. not capable of traveling through a vacuum.
c. not capable of diffracting and a light wave is.
d. capable of existing with a variety of frequencies and a light wave has a single frequency.

2. A sound wave is a pressure wave; regions of high (compressions) and low pressure
(rarefactions) are established as the result of the vibrations of the sound source. These
compressions and rarefactions result because sound

a. is more dense than air and thus has more inertia, causing the bunching up of sound.
b. waves have a speed that is dependent only upon the properties of the medium.
c. is like all waves; it is able to bend into the regions of space behind obstacles.
d. is able to reflect off fixed ends and interfere with incident waves
e. vibrates longitudinally; the longitudinal movement of air produces pressure fluctuations.
1. A mosquito's buzz is often rated with a decibel rating of 40 dB. Normal conversation is often
rated at 60 dB. How many times more intense is normal conversation compared to a
mosquito's buzz?
a. 2 b. 20 c. 100 d. 200 e. 400

2. The table at the right represents the decibel level for several sound sources. Use the table to
make comparisons of the intensities of the following sounds.
How many times more intense is the front row of a Smashin' Pumpkins concert than ...
a. ... the 15th row of the same concert?
b. ... the average factory?
c. ... normal speech?
d. ... the library after school?
e. ... the sound that most humans can just barely hear?
1. A mosquito's buzz is often rated with a decibel rating of 40 dB. Normal conversation is often
rated at 60 dB. How many times more intense is normal conversation compared to a
mosquito's buzz?

c. 100 times, Normal conversation is 20 dB more intense. This 20 db difference corresponds to a

2-Bel difference. This difference is equivalent to a sound which is 102 more intense. Always raise
10 to a power which is equivalent to the difference in "Bels.„

2. The table at the right represents the decibel level for several sound sources. Use the table to
make comparisons of the intensities of the following sounds.
How many times more intense is the front row of a Smashin' Pumpkins concert than ...
a. ... the 15th row of the same concert? b. ... the average factory? c. ... normal speech?
d. ... the library after school? e. ... the sound that most humans can just barely hear?

a. 10 X more intense - consistent with a 10 dBel (or 1 Bel) difference betw. the two sound levels.
b. 102 X more intense - consistent with a 20 dBel (or 2 Bel) difference betw. the two sound levels.
c. 105 X more intense - consistent with a 50 dBel (or 5 Bel) difference betw. the two sound levels.
d. 107 X more intense - consistent with a 70 dBel (or 7 Bel) difference betw. the two sound levels.
e. 1011 X more intense - consistent with a 110 dBel (or 11 Bel) difference betw. the two sound
levels.
1. On a good night, the front row of the Twisted Sister concert would surely result in a 120 dB
sound level. An IPod produces 100 dB. How many IPods would be needed to produce the same
intensity as the front row of the Twisted Sister concert?

2. On a hot summer day, a pesky little mosquito produced its warning sound near your ear. The
sound is produced by the beating of its wings at a rate of about 600 wing beats per second.
a. What is the frequency in Hertz of the sound wave? b. Assuming the sound wave moves with a
velocity of 350 m/s, what is the wavelength of the wave?
1. On a good night, the front row of the Twisted Sister concert would surely result in a 120 dB
sound level. An IPod produces 100 dB. How many IPods would be needed to produce the same
intensity as the front row of the Twisted Sister concert?

Answer: 100 IPods, Since 120 db is 102 times or 100 times more intense than 100 dB. It is
necessary to wear 100 IPods to produce the same sound level.

2. On a hot summer day, a pesky little mosquito produced its warning sound near your ear. The
sound is produced by the beating of its wings at a rate of about 600 wing beats per second.
a. What is the frequency in Hertz of the sound wave? b. Assuming the sound wave moves with a
velocity of 350 m/s, what is the wavelength of the wave?

a. 600 Hz (given)
b . 0.583 meters , λ = wavelength. Use v = f • λ where v = 350 m/s and f = 600 Hz. Rearrange the
equation to the form of λ = v / f. Substitute and solve.
1. An automatic focus camera is able to focus on objects by use of an ultrasonic sound wave.
The camera sends out sound waves that reflect off distant objects and return to the camera. A
sensor detects the time it takes for the waves to return and then determines the distance an
object is from the camera. If a sound wave (speed = 340 m/s) returns to the camera 0.150
seconds after leaving the camera, how far away is the object?

2. Doubling the frequency of a wave source doubles the speed of the waves.

a. True b. False
1. An automatic focus camera is able to focus on objects by use of an ultrasonic sound wave.
The camera sends out sound waves that reflect off distant objects and return to the camera. A
sensor detects the time it takes for the waves to return and then determines the distance an
object is from the camera. If a sound wave (speed = 340 m/s) returns to the camera 0.150
seconds after leaving the camera, how far away is the object?

25.5 m, The speed of the sound wave is 340 m/s. The distance can be found using d = v • t
resulting in an answer of 25.5 m. Use 0.075 seconds for the time since 0.150 seconds refers to
the round-trip distance.

2. Doubling the frequency of a wave source doubles the speed of the waves.

a. True b. False

B False, Doubling the frequency will halve the wavelength; speed is unaffected by the alteration
in the frequency. The speed of a wave depends upon the properties of the medium.
1. Playing middle C on the piano keyboard produces a sound with a frequency of 256 Hz.
Assuming the speed of sound in air is 345 m/s, determine the wavelength of the sound
corresponding to the note of middle C.

2. Most people can detect frequencies as high as 20 000 Hz. Assuming the speed of sound in air
is 345 m/s, determine the wavelength of the sound corresponding to this upper range of
audible hearing.
1. Playing middle C on the piano keyboard produces a sound with a frequency of 256 Hz.
Assuming the speed of sound in air is 345 m/s, determine the wavelength of the sound
corresponding to the note of middle C.

1.35 meters (rounded), Let λ = wavelength. Use v = f • λ where v = 345 m/s and f = 256 Hz.
Rearrange the equation to the form of λ = v / f. Substitute and solve.

2. Most people can detect frequencies as high as 20 000 Hz. Assuming the speed of sound in air
is 345 m/s, determine the wavelength of the sound corresponding to this upper range of
audible hearing.

0.0173 meters (rounded), Let λ = wavelength. Use v = f • λ where v = 345 m/s and f = 20 000 Hz.
Rearrange the equation to the form of λ = v / f. Substitute and solve.
1. An elephant produces a 10 Hz sound wave. Assuming the speed of sound in air is 345 m/s,
determine the wavelength of this infrasonic sound wave.

7. Determine the speed of sound on a cold winter day (T=3 degrees C).
1. An elephant produces a 10 Hz sound wave. Assuming the speed of sound in air is 345 m/s,
determine the wavelength of this infrasonic sound wave.

Use v = f • λ

7. Determine the speed of sound on a cold winter day (T=3 degrees C).

332.8 m/s, The speed of sound in air is dependent upon the temperature of air. The dependence
is expressed by the equation:
v = 331 m/s + (0.6 m/s/C) • T where T is the temperature in Celsius. Substitute and solve.
v = 331 m/s + (0.6 m/s/C) • 3 C
v = 331 m/s + 1.8 m/s
v = 332.8 m/s
1. Miles Tugo is camping in Glacier National Park. In the midst of a glacier canyon, he makes a
loud holler. He hears an echo 1.22 seconds later. The air temperature is 20 degrees C. How
far away are the canyon walls?

2. Two sound waves are traveling through a container of unknown gas. Wave A has a
wavelength of 1.2 m. Wave B has a wavelength of 3.6 m.
The velocity of wave B must be __________ the velocity of wave A.

a. one-ninth
b. one-third
c. the same as
d. three times larger than
1. Miles Tugo is camping in Glacier National Park. In the midst of a glacier canyon, he makes a
loud holler. He hears an echo 1.22 seconds later. The air temperature is 20 degrees C. How
far away are the canyon walls?

209 m, The speed of the sound wave at this temperature is 343 m/s (using the equation
described in the Tutorial). The distance can be found using d = v • t resulting in an answer of 343
m. Use 0.61 second for the time since 1.22 seconds refers to the round-trip distance.

2. Two sound waves are traveling through a container of unknown gas. Wave A has a
wavelength of 1.2 m. Wave B has a wavelength of 3.6 m.
The velocity of wave B must be __________ the velocity of wave A.

a. one-ninth
b. one-third
c. the same as
d. three times larger than

C, The speed of a wave does not depend upon its wavelength, but rather upon the properties of
the medium. The medium has not changed, so neither has the speed.
1. Two sound waves are traveling through a container of unknown gas. Wave A has a
wavelength of 1.2 m. Wave B has a wavelength of 3.6 m. The frequency of wave B must be
__________ the frequency of wave A.
a. one-ninth
b. one-third
c. the same as
d. three times larger than

2. At which of the labeled point(s) would constructive

interference occur?

a. B only
b. A, B, and C
c. D, E, and F
d. A and B
1. Two sound waves are traveling through a container of unknown gas. Wave A has a wavelength of
1.2 m. Wave B has a wavelength of 3.6 m. The frequency of wave B must be __________ the
frequency of wave A.
a. one-ninth
b. one-third
c. the same as
d. three times larger than

B, Since Wave B has three times the wavelength of Wave A, it must have one-third the frequency.
Frequency and wavelength are inversely related.

2. At which of the labeled point(s) would constructive

interference occur?

a. B only
b. A, B, and C
c. D, E, and F
d. A and B

Answer: D, Both points A and B are on locations where a crest (maximum) meets a crest (maximum).
1. Why don't we hear beats when different keys on the piano are played at the same time?

2. A tuning fork with a frequency of 440 Hz is played simultaneously with a fork

with a frequency of 437 Hz. How many beats will be heard over a period of 10
seconds?
1. Why don't we hear beats when different keys on the piano are played at the same time?

Our ears can only detect beats if the two interfering sound waves have a
difference in frequency of 7 Hz or less. No two keys on the piano are that similar
in frequency.

2. A tuning fork with a frequency of 440 Hz is played simultaneously with a fork

with a frequency of 437 Hz. How many beats will be heard over a period of 10
seconds?

30 beats, The beat frequency will be 3 Hz; thus in 10 seconds, there should be 30
beats.
1. Suppose you are standing on the passenger-loading platform of the commuter railway line.
As the commuter train approaches the station, it gradually slows down. During this process
of slowing down, the engineer sounds the horn at a constant frequency of 300 Hz. What
pitch or changes in pitch will you perceive as the train approaches you on the loading
platform?
1. Suppose you are standing on the passenger-loading platform of the commuter railway line.
As the commuter train approaches the station, it gradually slows down. During this process
of slowing down, the engineer sounds the horn at a constant frequency of 300 Hz. What
pitch or changes in pitch will you perceive as the train approaches you on the loading
platform?

This is a tough question! First you know that the pitch which you hear will be greater than 300 Hz
since the sound source is approaching you. But once stopped, the pitch will be 300 Hz exactly. So
the pitch must be gradually decreasing from above 300 Hz to 300 Hz during the slowing down
process.
• Girl Anna cuts short sections of PVC pipe into different lengths and mounts them in putty
on the table. The PVC pipes form closed-end air columns that sound out at different
frequencies when she blows over the top of them. The actual frequency of vibration is
inversely proportional to the wavelength of the sound; and thus, the frequency of vibration
is inversely proportional to the length of air inside the tubes. Express your understanding
of this resonance phenomenon by filling in the following table.
• Girl Anna cuts short sections of PVC pipe into different lengths and mounts them in putty on the table. The PVC pipes
form closed-end air columns that sound out at different frequencies when she blows over the top of them. The actual
frequency of vibration is inversely proportional to the wavelength of the sound; and thus, the frequency of vibration is
inversely proportional to the length of air inside the tubes. Express your understanding of this resonance phenomenon by
filling in the following table.

The speed of wave is not dependent upon wave properties such as wavelength and frequency. Thus, the speed of the sound wave
is 340 m/s for each of the four pipes.

For Pipe C, the frequency can be determined from knowledge of the speed and the wavelength using the wave equation:
v = f • λ where λ is the wavelength. First, rearrange the equation. Then substitute and solve as shown below.

• f = v / λ = (340 m/s) / (0.64 m) = 531 Hz

For all four pipes, the length of the air column inside the pipe is one-fourth the wavelength of the wave. This is evident when
looking at the length - wavelength relationships for Pipes A and B. Put in equation form: L = 0.25 • λ where λ is the wavelength.
For Pipe C:

• L = 0.25 • λ = 0.25 • (0.64 m) = 0.16 m

For Pipe D, the determination of the wavelength demands that the L = 0.25 • λ equation be rearranged.
• λ = 4 • L = 4 • 0.20 m = 0.80 m
1. When a tennis racket strikes a tennis ball, the racket begins to vibrate. There is a set of
selected frequencies at which the racket will tend to vibrate. Each frequency in the set is
characterized by a particular standing wave pattern. The diagrams below show the three of
the more common standing wave patterns for the vibrations of a tennis racket.

Compare the wavelength of pattern A to the wavelength of pattern B. Make your comparison
both qualitative and quantitative. Repeat for pattern C.
1. When a tennis racket strikes a tennis ball, the racket begins to vibrate. There is a set of
selected frequencies at which the racket will tend to vibrate. Each frequency in the set is
characterized by a particular standing wave pattern. The diagrams below show the three of
the more common standing wave patterns for the vibrations of a tennis racket.

Compare the wavelength of pattern A to the wavelength of pattern B. Make your comparison
both qualitative and quantitative. Repeat for pattern C.

The wavelength of A is bigger than B which is bigger than C.

In A, there is 1/4-th of a wave in the racket. In B, there is 3/4-ths of a wave in the racket. In C,
there is 4/4-ths of a wave in the racket. Thus, the wave in Pattern A is 3 times the length of Wave
in Pattern B and 4 times the length of wave in Pattern C.
• Calculate the wave speed. At a frequency of
25 kHz, the distance from a close end of a
tube of hydrogen gas to the nearest
displacement node of a standing wave is 0.1
m.

0,1 m
Calculate the wave speed. At a frequency of 6.5 kHz, the distance
from a close end of a tube of hydrogen gas to the nearest
displacement node of a standing wave is 0.1 m.

• longitudinal standing wave in tube

• adjacent nodes are always a half-wavelength apart, co we have λ=2L, then λ/2=0.1 m, and
λ=0.2 m.
• speed, because v=λf, v=0.2 m * 6500 Hz = 1300 m/s