GCSEPhysicsEdexcelExam Questions4. Waves4.2 Sound

Sound (Edexcel GCSE Physics)

Exam Questions

1 hour9 questions
Easy
Medium
1a
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Waves can be transverse or longitudinal. 

State what type a sound wave is.

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1b
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Explain why astronauts cannot hear sounds from outside their spacesuits.

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1c
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Compressions and rarefactions in sound waves cause pressure differences on the surface of solids which cause the solid to vibrate at the same frequency as the sound wave. This is called the frequency response.

Explain why the frequency response only works over a limited range of frequencies.

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2a
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What is the frequency range of human hearing?
 
 

square   A   20 Hz - 2000 Hz

square   B   20 Hz - 20 000 Hz

square   C   200 Hz - 20 kHz

square   D   2 kHz - 20 kHz

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2b
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The frequency response can explain the range of human hearing.

Use words from the box to complete the following sentences.
  
 
amplified propagate auditory canal natural  force

 

Sound waves travelling through the air pass down the  ............................. toward the eardrum.

Pressure variations on the surface of the membrane exert a  ............................. causing it to vibrate.

This vibration is transferred to the small bones where the oscillation is  ............................. and transferred to the cochlea.

The ............................. frequencies of the membrane, bone and cochlea are close to the mean frequency of the sound waves.

Frequencies of sound waves far beyond this, will not produce vibrations large enough to ............................. through the inner ear structures.

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2c
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State the name of the nerve along which electrical impulses carry information about detected sounds to the brain.

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3a
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The frequency of ultrasound is outside the range of human hearing.

Which of the following frequencies could be an ultrasound wave?

 

square   A   45 Hz

square   B   450 Hz

square   C   4500 Hz

square   D   45 000 Hz

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3b
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Sonar is one application of ultrasound. Which of the following is another application?

square   A   Cancer treatment

square   B   Foetal scanning

square   C   Exploration of the Earth's core

square   D   Satellite navigation

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3c
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The sentences below describe the process of foetal scanning.

Use words from the box to complete the following sentences.
 Use my use them once, more than once, or not at all.
 
reflected transponder transducer signal refracted

 

A pulse of ultrasound is emitted by a  ............................. 

The pulse is ............................. at boundaries in the body such as between fluid and tissue, or between tissue and bone. 

The returning pulse is detected by the  ..............................

The ..............................is processed and an image is created.

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1a2 marks
The diagram in Figure 7 shows two students, P and Q, trying to measure the speed of sound in air.

fig-7-paper1h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 7

P will clap his hands together.

When Q sees P clap his hands, she will start a timer.

When Q hears the clap, she will stop the timer.

Explain one way the students could improve their method.

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1b2 marks

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Figure 8 shows a long metal rod and a hammer.

The rod is hit at one end by the hammer.

This causes a sound wave to travel along the inside of the metal rod.

fig-8-paper1h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physicsFigure 8

Describe how hitting the rod causes a sound wave to travel along the inside of the rod.

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1c2 marks
Sound travels slower in air than it does in water.

Figure 9 shows the direction of travel of a sound wave approaching a boundary between air and water.

The sound wave refracts at the boundary between air and water.

fig-9-paper1h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physicsFigure 9

Complete the diagram in Figure 9 to show the direction the sound wave travels in the air.

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1d3 marks

Sound travels slower in cold air than it does in warm air.

The equation relating the speed of sound in air to the density of the air is


speed space of space sound equals fraction numerator straight K over denominator square root of open parentheses density close parentheses end root end fraction      where K is a constant.

The table in Figure 10 gives some data about the speed of sound in air and the density of air.

  speed of sound
in m/s		 density of air
in kg / m3
 in cold air 331 1.29
 in warm air   1.16

Figure 10

Use the equation and the data in the table in Figure 10 to calculate the speed of sound in warm air.

Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

speed of sound in warm air = .............................................................. m/s

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2a1 mark

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Sonar is an example of a use of ultrasound.

State one other example of a use of ultrasound.

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2b1 mark

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State an example of a use of infrasound.

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2c4 marks

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Figure 1 shows the depth of the sea, measured using sonar, at different distances from the shore.

q1c-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 1


A technician on a boat uses sonar pulses to measure the depth of the sea when the boat is 120 m from the shore.
 
Calculate the total time of travel for the sonar pulse used to make this measurement.
 
The speed of the sonar pulse in seawater is 1600 m/s.

time of travel = .............................................................. s

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3a
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Figure 14 shows the hearing responses of a human, a mouse and a bird over a range of frequencies of sound.

fig-14-paper1h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 14

i)
Describe two differences between the hearing responses of the human and the mouse.

[2]

ii)
A farmer wants to use an alarm to scare away these birds.

State which frequency would be most effective.
Give the appropriate units.

[1]

frequency ..............................................................

iii)
State the reason for your choice of frequency in (ii).

[1]

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3b
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 Describe the difference between ‘infrasound’ and ‘ultrasound’.

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3c
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A transducer can transmit and detect ultrasonic waves.

Figure 15 shows ultrasonic waves transmitted by the transducer on the bottom of a ship.

fig-15-paper1h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 15

The waves reflect off the sea floor and are received back at the transducer.
The waves travel at 1500 m/s.
The time between transmission and reception is 48 milliseconds.

Calculate the depth of water, D, shown in Figure 15.


depth of water, D = .............................................................. m

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3d
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Explain how vibrations from earthquakes may be used to study the core of the Earth.

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4a2 marks

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Figure 1 shows a sound wave.

4-2-m-4a-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 1 (not to scale)

On the wave shown in Figure 1:
 
(i)
Mark the centre of a compression with an X.
[1]
 
(ii)
Mark the centre of a rarefaction with a Y.
[1]

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4b4 marks

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Describe how a human could hear a sound wave such as the one shown in Figure 1.

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4c2 marks

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State the frequencies between which the human ear can detect sound.

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4d1 mark

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Ultrasound has a frequency above the range of human hearing.

State one similarity between a sound wave and an ultrasound wave.

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5a1 mark
Which of the following waves is longitudinal?
 

square   A   Light from a bulb

square   B   Ripples from a pebble dropped in a pond

square   C   Music from a speaker

square   D   Ultraviolet radiation from the Sun

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5b1 mark
Which row in the table correctly describes what happens to a sound wave that travels from air to water?

 
   Wavelength Speed
  square  A increases increases
  square  B increases decreases
  square  C decreases increases
  square  D decreases decreases

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5c2 marks

Sound waves travel faster through solids than liquids or gases.

Explain why sound waves travel faster in solids.

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5d2 marks

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Sound waves oscillate in the same direction as the direction of energy transfer.

State two other examples of longitudinal waves.

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6a1 mark

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This question is about ultrasound.

Which of these is a frequency of ultrasound?

  ☐ A 2.3 Hz
  ☐ B 23 Hz
  ☐ C 2.3 kHz
  ☐ D 23 kHz

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6b5 marks

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Ultrasound has many uses.

i)
One device called a pest repeller emits ultrasound.
The ultrasound keeps mice out of the garden.
Explain why the device affects mice but does not affect humans.

[2]

ii)
A technician has a different ultrasound device.
This device can emit and detect short pulses of ultrasound.
The device can also measure the time, in ms, from emitting a pulse to detecting the same pulse.
Describe how the technician can use this device to determine the speed of ultrasound in air.

[3]

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