SOUND

SOUND CLASS-8

I. Very short questions

1. Name one animal which can hear ultrasonic sounds.
Answer: Dogs

2. How is sound produced?

Answer: Sound is produced by vibrating objects.

3. How does an object produce sound?

Answer: Sound is produced when an objects vibrates.

4. Name the sound producing organ in humans.

Answer: Voice box (larynx)

5. Name the organs of hearing in our body.

Answer: Our ears are the organs of hearing in our body.

6. Name that part of ear which vibrates when outside sound falls on it.
Answer: Eardrum vibrates when outside sound falls on it.

7. Name the unit used to measure the loudness of sound.

Answer: The loudness is expressed in a unit called decibel (dB).

8. Name the quantity whose unit is ‘hertz’.

Answer: The unit of frequency is called “hertz”.

9. Does any part of the body vibrate when we speak? Name the part.
Answer: Yes, vocal chords vibrate when we speak.

10.On what factor does the pitch of a sound depend?

Answer: The frequency determines the shrillness or pitch of a sound.

11. What is the name of passage in outer ear which carries sound waves to the eardrum?
Answer: The sound is carried through the Ear canal.

12.What is frequency of oscillation?

Answer: The number of oscillations per second is called the frequency of oscillation.

13.What is the audible range of frequencies for human ears?

Answer: For human ear, the range of audible frequencies is roughly from 20 to 20,000
Hz.

14. What is vibration?

Answer: The to and fro or back and forth motion of an object is termed as vibration.

15. How does a sound producing object differ from silent?

Answer: A sound producing object vibrates while a silent does not. We can feel the
vibrations by touching them.
16.What brings the sound of a ringing telephone bell to our ears?
Answer: The sound of a ringing telephone bell travel to our ears through the air in the
room.

17.What is the length of the vocal cord in men and women?

Answer: The vocal cords in men are about 20mm long. In women these are about
5mm shorter.

18.What does the working of a toy telephone tell us about sound?

1
SOUND

Answer: The working of a toy telephone tells us that sound travels through solid
substances.

19.Who produces sound of higher pitch: a man or a woman? Why?

Answer: Usually the voice of a woman has a higher frequency and therefore, produces
a sound of higher pitch.

20.Name three characteristics which are used to describe oscillations.

Answer: Frequency, amplitude and frequency are the three characteristics which are
used to describe oscillations.

21.What is musical sound? Give example.

Answer: Musical sound is one which is pleasing to the ear. Sound produced by a
harmonium is a musical sound.

22. What is noise pollution?

Answer: Presence of excessive or unwanted sounds in the environment is called noise
pollution.

23.What is amplitude of oscillation?

Answer: The maximum displacement of a vibrating object from its central position is
called the amplitude of oscillation.

24.Why can ultrasound not be heard by humans?

Answer: Ultrasound cannot be heard by humans because the ultrasound equipment
works at frequencies higher than 20,000 Hz.

25.What is the relation between ‘time-period’ and ‘frequency’ of an oscillating body?

Answer: Time Period given by the inverse of the frequency.
Time Period = 1/frequency

26. Name one solid, one liquid and one gas through which sound can travel.
Answer: Solid: Metal (Iron, Steel, Aluminium), wood, bricks etc.
Liquid: Water
Gas: Air

27. What does voice box or larynx of human produces?

Answer: Sound
28. In which medium sound propagates the maximum?
Answer: Solid
29. Name a musical instrument which produces sound by blowing air into it.
Answer: Flute
30. What is the unit of frequency?
Answer: Hertz
31. What do you mean amplitude?
Answer: Vibrations produced by vibrating body in one second is known as amplitude.
32. What is the maximum displacement of an oscillating object is called?
Answer: Amplitude
33. How does sound help us?
Answer: Sound help us to communicate.
34. What is the unit of loudness?
Answer: Decibel (dB)
35. What is audible sound?
Answer: Frequency between 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz is audible sound.
36.Sound plays an important role in our life. Why?
Answer: Sound is crucial because it enables us to communicate with one another.

37.Identify the type of frequency in the below given pictures

2
SOUND

Answer:
a. High frequency
b. low Frequency

38.Explain with an activity that sound travels in liquids.

Answer: Fill a bucket with water and, using one hand, shake a bell under the water,
making sure the bell does not touch the bucket's body. Now carefully place your ear on
the water's surface; you will hear the ringing bell, proving that sound can travel
through water.

39.It is said that “The loudness of sound depends on its amplitude”. What happens to the
sound when the amplitude of vibration is large and vice versa?
Answer: Because the loudness of sound is determined by its amplitude, so the sound
produced is loud when the amplitude of vibration is significant. The sound generated is
weak when the amplitude is tiny.

40.Give an example to show that the frequency determines the shrillness or pitch
of a sound.
Answer: A low-frequency vibration is produced by a drum. As a result, it makes a low-
pitched sound. A whistle, on the other hand, has a high frequency and hence generates
a higher pitch sound.
II. Short Answer Type Questions
1. Why a sound cannot be heard on the moon?
Answer: A sound cannot be heard on the moon because on the moon there is no
medium such as air though which the vibrations can propagate.

2. Why should we not put a sharp, pointed or hard thing into our ears?
Answer: We must never put a sharp, pointed or hard thing into our ear. It can damage
the eardrum. The damaged eardrum can impair hearing.

3. How is sound produced in mirudangam?

Answer: When we strike the membrane of a mirudangam, the sound that we hear is
not only that of the membrane but of the whole body of the instrument.

4. What differences will you hear in a sound if there is an increase in (i) amplitude, and (ii)
frequency?
Answer: (i) The sound will become loud on increasing the amplitude.
(ii) The sound will become shrill on increasing the frequency.

5. A pendulum oscillates 40 times in 4 seconds. Find its time period and frequency.
Answer:
Frequency = (Number of Oscillations)/Time= 40/4= 10 Hz
Time period = 1/(Frequency of Oscillation)= 1/10= 0.1 sec

6. 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?
Answer: Speed of the light is more than the speed of sound. Thus, Lightning is seen
earlier and thunder is heard later.

7. Whose voice is shriller: a baby or a woman?

Answer: The voice of a baby has a higher frequency (or higher pitch) than that of a
woman due to which the voice of a baby is even more shrill than that of a woman.

8. How does sound of a bird differ from roar of a lion?

3
SOUND

Answer: A bird makes a high-pitched sound whereas a lion makes a low-pitched roar.
However, the roar of a lion is very loud while the sound of the bird is quite feeble.

9. Which produces sound of a higher pitch: a drum or a whistle? Why?

Answer: A drum vibrates with a low frequency. Therefore, it produces a low-pitched
sound. On the other hand, a whistle has a high frequency and therefore, produces a
sound of higher pitch.

10.What frequency can dogs hear but not humans?

Answer: Some animals can hear sounds of frequencies higher than 20,000 Hz. Dogs
have this ability. The police use high frequency whistles which dogs can hear but
humans cannot.

11.Two astronauts are floating close to each other in space. Can they talk to each other
without using any special device? Give reasons.
Answer: No, because in space there is no atmosphere and sound needs medium to travel.

12.What do you mean by oscillatory motion?

Answer:
The to and fro motion of an object is called vibration. This motion in both the direction
from its mean position is called oscillatory motion.

13.Sonali heard sound of thunderbolt 5 second after she saw flash of lightning. How far is she
from the place where lightning occurs? (speed of sound = 330 m/s)
Answer:
Distance of Sonali from the place of lightning = 330 × 5 = 1650 m
14.A simple pendulum makes 20 oscillations in 40 seconds. What is the time period and
frequency of its oscillation?
Answer:
Time period = Time /No. of oscillation =40/20 = 2 sec.
Frequency = No. of oscillation / Time =20/40 = 0.5 Hz
15.State the differences between ultrasonic sound and infrasonic sound?
Answer:

Ultrasonic sound Infrasonic sound

(i) Sound of frequency higher than (i) Sound of frequency lower than 20

20,000 Hz is called ultrasonic sound. Hz is called the infrasonic sound.

(ii) Animals like whale, elephant,

(ii) Animals like dog, bat, monkey, deer,
hippopotamus, giraffe, etc., can hear
etc., can hear ultrasonic sound.
infrasonic sound.

16.A string musical instrument was first plucked with a force of smaller magnitude and then
with a force of greater magnitude. In which case would the instrument produce a louder
sound?
Answer:The loudness of sound depends upon the amplitude of vibration. The amplitude of
string is larger when it is plucked with greater force and hence the sound will be louder in
that case.

4
SOUND

17. What is the function of hair and wax in ear canal?

Answer: The hair and wax in the ear canal help to keep out foreign debris such as dirt and
bugs.

18. Discuss the importance of Sound in our lives.

Answer: Sound plays an essential role in our lives; Sound helps us communicate with one
another. Sound is so important because animals can hear events around them, regardless
of where their attention is focused.

19. We have learnt that vibration is necessary for producing sound. Explain why the sound
produced by every vibrating body cannot be heard by us.
Answer: If the sound of vibrating body is audible then only we will be able to heard it
otherwise we will not be able to hear it.

20. Why we are able to hear sound of a clock clearer at night than in day?
Answer: The noise level is quite low at night. Therefore the sound of the clock appears
much clearer at night than in the day.

21. Differentiate between musical sound and noise.

Answer:

Musical sound Noise

(i) Musical sound is pleasant, smooth (i) Noise is unpleasant, jarring and

and agreeable to the ear. disagreeable to the ear.

(ii) It is produced by periodic vibrations (ii) It is produced by irregular

which are regular and continuous. vibrations which are discontinuous.

(iii) There are no sudden changes in (iii) There are sudden changes in

loudness and pitch of musical sound. loudness and pitch of noise.

22.Can sound travel through a vacuum? Why or why not?

Answer: Sound cannot travel through a vacuum. A vacuum is an area without any air,
like space. So, sound cannot travel through space because there is no matter for the
vibrations to work in.

23. How does loudness depend on the amplitude of vibrations?

Answer: Loudness of sound is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the
vibration producing the sound. For example, if the amplitude becomes twice, the
loudness increases by a factor of 4.

24. How is sound produced in Sitar?

Answer: When we pluck the string of an instrument, like the sitar, the sound that we
hear is not only that of the string. The whole instrument is forced to vibrate, and it is
the sound of the vibration of the instrument that we hear.

25. Why are the voices of men, women and children different?

5
SOUND

Answer: The vocal cords in men are about 20mm long. In women these are about
5mm shorter. Children have very short vocal cords. This is the reason why the voices of
men, women and children are different.

26. How can you show that a sounding tabla is vibrating?

Answer: If we put some grains on the membrane of sound producing tabla, the grains
will start jumping up and down showing that the tabla membrane is vibrating while
producing sound.

27.How can we distinguish between a man’s voice and a woman’s voice even without seeing
them?
Answer: We can distinguish between a man’s voice and a woman voice even without
seeing them. This is because the voice of a woman has a higher frequency and is
shriller than that of a man.

28. What can be done along the roads to reduce noise pollution caused by traffic from
reaching the residents of the area?
Answer: Trees must be planted along the roads and around buildings to cut down on
the sounds reaching the residents, thus reducing the harmful effects of noise pollution.

29. State one observation from everyday life which shows that sound travels slower than
light.
Answer: 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. This shows that
sound travels slower than light.

30. What are called inaudible sounds?

Answer: The fact is that sounds of frequencies less than about 20 vibrations per
second (20 Hz) and higher than about 20,000 vibrations per second (20000 Hz) cannot
be detected by the human ear. Such sounds are called inaudible sounds.

31. How is pitch related to frequency?

Answer: The frequency determines the shrillness or pitch of a sound. If the frequency
of vibration is higher we say that the sound is shrill and has a higher pitch. If the
frequency of vibration is lower, we say that the sound has a lower pitch.

32. The sound from a mosquito is produced when it vibrates its wings at an average rate of
500 vibrations per second. What is the time period of the vibration?
Answer: Time period = 1/(Frequency of Oscillation)
Frequency of oscillations = 500 Hz
Time period = 1/500 = .002 s

33. What is the frequency of a vibrating body whose time-period is 0.05 second?
Answer: Time period = 1/(Frequency of Oscillation)

Or, Frequency = 1/ Time period= 1/0.05 second= 20 Hz

34. By how much will the loudness of a sound change when the amplitude of vibrations is: (a)
doubled? (b) halved?
Answer:
(a) If the amplitude of vibrations is doubled, then the loudness will become four times.
(b) If the amplitude of vibrations is halved, then the loudness will become one-fourth.

35.Write the loudness of the following in decibels:

Normal breathing, Soft whisper (at 5m), Normal conversation, Busy traffic and Average
factory

6
SOUND

Answer: Normal breathing – 10 dB

Soft whisper (at 5m) – 30 dB
Normal conversation – 60 dB
Busy traffic – 70 dB
Average factory – 80 dB

36. Identify the part which vibrates to produce sound in the following instruments: (a) Dholak
(b) Sitar (c) Flute (d) Cymbals (e) Veena (f) Tabla
Answer: Dholak – stretched membrane
Sitar – strings
Flute – air columns
Cymbals – metal plates
Veena – strings
Tabla – stretched membrane

III. Long Answer Type Questions

1. Your parents are going to buy a house. They have been offered one on the roadside and
another three lanes away from the roadside. Which house would you suggest your parents
should buy? Explain your answer.
Answer: I would suggest my parents to buy the house which is three lanes away from
the roadside because being away from the road will reduce noise pollution caused by
heavy traffic on the road. The intensity of noise decreases with the distance between
the source and the listener.

2. Explain in what way noise pollution is harmful to humans.

Answer: Presence of excessive noise in the surroundings may cause many health
related problems. Lack of sleep, hypertension (high blood pressure), anxiety and many
more health disorders may be caused by noise pollution. A person who is exposed to a
loud sound continuously may get temporary or even permanent impairment of hearing.

3. What is the frequency of the sound produced when the vocal cords are: (a) tight and thin?
(b) loose and thick?
Answer: Muscles attached to the vocal cords can make the cords tight or loose.

(a) When the vocal cords are tight and thin, a sound of high frequency (high pitch sound) is
produced.

(b) The frequency produced by tight and thin, a sound of low frequency (low pitch sound) is
produced.

4. How do we hear?
Answer: The shape of the outer part of the ear is 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. The eardrum is like a stretched rubber sheet. Sound vibrations
make the eardrum vibrate. The eardrum sends vibrations to the inner ear. From there,
the signal goes to the brain. That is how we hear.

5. List sources of noise pollution in your surroundings.

Answer: Some sources of noise pollution are as follows:

 Running of mixer and grinder

 Blowing of horns of motor vehicles
 Bursting of crackers
 Taking off and landing of aeroplanes
 Sounds of loudspeakers

7
SOUND

 High volumes in televisions and transistors

6. What is the difference between noise and music? Can music become noise sometimes?
Answer: Noise: The unpleasant sounds around us are called noise.

Example:

 Running of mixer and grinder

 Blowing of horns of vehicles
 Bursting of crackers
Music: The sounds which are pleasant to hear are called music.

Example: Sounds from musical instruments such as harmonium, sitar, guitar, flute etc.
If a musical sound becomes too loud, it would become noise.

7. What is an eardrum?

Answer: The eardrum, or tympanum, is a thin, funnel-shaped membrane that separates

the external ear from the middle ear in humans; it is like a stretched rubber sheet, and
sound vibrations make the eardrum vibrate. The eardrum sends a vibration to the inner
ear, and from there, the signal is sent to the brain; in this way, we can hear the sounds
around us.

8. Sketch larynx and explain its function in your own words.

Or
Describe how sound is produced by the human voice box (or larynx).
Answer: In humans, the sound is produced by the voice box or the larynx. It is at the
upper end of the windpipe. Two vocal cords are stretched across the voice box or
larynx in such a way that it leaves a narrow slit between them for the passage of
air. When the lungs force air through the slit, the vocal cords vibrate, producing sound.

9. State the various measures which can be taken to control noise pollution in our
surroundings.
Answer: Measures to limit noise pollution

 Silencing devices must be installed in air craft engines, transport vehicles, industrial
machines and home appliances.
 Use of automobile horns should be minimised.
 The noisy operations must be conducted away from any residential area.
 Noise producing industries should be set up away from such areas.
 TV and music systems should be run at low volumes.

10. List the harmful effect of Noise pollution

Answer: Excessive noise in the environment can lead to a variety of health issues.

8
SOUND

a. Lack of sleep,

b. Hypertension (high blood pressure),

c. Anxiety,

d. A person who is continuously exposed to a loud sound may suffer from temporary or
permanent hearing loss.

11. The town hall building is situated near Boojho house. A clock is on the top of the town
hall building. The clock rings the bell every hour. Boojho has observed that the sound of
the clock ring appears to be clearer at night. Explain.

Answer : When sound is initiated, speed, pitch, and loudness are all initiated
with vibration. During the daytime, there are several vibrations around us. This results in a
decrease in the amplitude of vibrations. At night, there will be no such distractions, which
will make the sound clearer.

12. Lightning and thunder happen in the sky simultaneously and at the same distance from
us. Then why do we first see the flash of lightning and then, after some time we hear the
thunder sound?

Answer: Lightning and thunder occur in the sky simultaneously and at the same distance
from us. But we first see the flash of lightning, and then, after some time, we hear the
thunder sound. This is because the velocity of light in air is 3× 10 8 m/s while the velocity of
Sound in air is 343 m/s.

13. How can you show that sound cannot travel through a vacuum?

Answer: Take a metal glass tumbler. Place a cell phone in it. Ask your friend to give a ring on
this cell phone from another cell phone. Listen to the ring carefully. Now, surround the rim of
the tumbler with your hands. Put your mouth on the opening between your hands. Indicate to
your friend to give a ring again. Listen to the ring while sucking air from the tumbler. You will
observe that the sound become fainter as you suck. If you had been able to suck all the air in
the tumbler, the sound would stop completely. Actually, sound needs a medium to travel.
When air has been removed completely from a vessel, it is said that there is vacuum in the
vessel. The sound cannot travel through vacuum.

14. Write down the characteristics of vibration and sound.

Answer:
Characteristics of vibration:
 Amplitude: The maximum displacement of a vibrating object from its resting
position. A higher amplitude means a stronger vibration. Denoted by A, unit:
metre(m)
 Frequency: The number of vibrations made by vibrating object per second,
denoted by f measured in Hertz (Hz). Higher frequency means faster vibrations.
 Time period: The time it takes for one complete cycle of vibration. Denoted by T,
unit: seconds(s)
Characteristics of sound:
Pitch:
 Pitch denotes the shrillness or flatness of a voice. Pitch depends on its frequency.
 Pitch of a vibrating object with low frequency is low and the sound produced is
called grave or flat sound.
 Pitch of a vibrating object with high frequency is high and the sound produced is
called shrill sound.

Loudness:

9
SOUND

 Loudness depends on the amplitude of vibration.

 Greater the amplitude louder is the sound produced by the vibration.
 Loudness is directly proportional to the square of amplitude.( Loudness α (amplitude) 2)
 Loudness is measured in decibel or dB.
 Sound more than 80dB is painful to our ears.

15. Difference between loudness and pitch.

Answer:

IV. Fill in the Blanks

1. Human beings sound is produced by __________. (larynx)

2. Sound of frequency lower than 20 Hz is called the __________. (infrasonic)
3. The __________ nerve is also present in the inner ear. (auditory)

4. Sounds which are unpleasant to the ear is called __________. (noise)

5. Too much noise in our surroundings that causes discomfort is called ______. (noise
pollution)
6. The speed of sound is maximum in __________. (solids)
7. Sounds of frequencies higher than 20,000 Hz are called the __________ sound. (ultrasonic)
8. __________ is the time taken by a vibrating body for one complete vibration. (Time period)
9. Above __________ the noise becomes physically painful. (80 dB)
10.Plantation on the roadside can reduce __________. (noise pollution)
11.The hearing range of human ears is __________.(20 Hz to 20,000 Hz)
12.The loudness of normal breathing of human is __________.(10 dB)
13.Vibration is a repeated __________ and __________ motion. (to, fro)
14.The loudness of sound is determined by the __________ of vibration. (Amplitude)
15.The human voice box is called __________. (larynx)

V. Match the following

10
SOUND

Answer:
1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (h) 4. (a) 5. (b) 6. (e) 7. (i) 8. (j) 9. (f) 10. (g)

IV. True or False

1. All human beings can hear sounds of frequencies upto 60,000 Hz. False
2. The sound in a sitar is produced by plucking its strings. True
3. Sound cannot travel through vacuum. True
4. Sound does not need a medium for its propagation. False
5. The loudness is expressed in a unit called decibel. True
6. Loud sounds have high frequencies. False
7. Sound travel faster in air, slower in iron. False
8. Light travels much faster than sound. True
9. Man cannot hear sound of bats. True
10.The time taken to complete one oscillation is called frequency. False
11.Shriller sound has more frequency. True
12.Tabla is a musical instrument. True
13.The sound could not travel in solid. False
14.The pitch of a sound depends in the frequency of the waves. True

11