Self – Study Pack

 Subject - Science
 Grade - Grade 7
 Term - 2nd Term
 Unit - Sound
 Learning outcomes –
 Explains that sound is generated by vibration
 States that a medium is necessary for the propagation of sound.
 Explains that the speed of sound is different in different media.
 Generate sound by vibrating suitable objects.

Activity 1 – Let us listen to the sounds in the surrounding.

 Go to an open place outside the house.

 Close the eyes and listen to the sounds in the surrounding.
 Make a list of sounds that you listened to
…………………………………… ………………………………………
…………………………………… ………………………………………
………………………………….. ……………………………………..
………………………………….. ……………………………………..

Activity 2 – Let us classify sounds. (Recalling Grade 6 knowledge)

Classify sounds in the above list as follows. What is the difference between natural sounds and
artificial sounds ?

Natural sounds Artificial sounds Sounds generated naturally are

called natural sounds and sounds
produced by man are called
artificial sounds.

Music Noise What is the difference between music and noise ?

Sounds produced to a rhythm are
called music and sounds produced
without a rhythm are called noise

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What is the definition of sound?

How are the sounds  you Sound

mentioned in activity
is a kind 1 generated?
of energy that produces the sensation of hearing.
Eg: sound of wind is generated by the motion of air
sound of vehicles is generated when the tires come into contact with the road/rubbing parts of the engine

How do the sounds mentioned by you generate?

Ex: - Sound of wind – By motion of air

Sound of vehicles - By contacting tires of vehicles with the road/ rubbing of parts of vehicle engine

Activity 3 – Let us investigate how sound is generated

 Sound is always generated due to back and fore motion, if not vibration of something.
 At the same time sound waves too, have the ability of vibrating something.
 Collect the following things from your home and engage in the activity given below.

3.1

Speaker

Do you know?

The diaphragm of the speaker vibrates

according to the electric signals received
Pieces of by it.
Styrofoam
By this method, the speaker amplifies
sound waves.

Wire
terminal

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Method: -

o Connect a dry cell to a speaker.

o Keep small pieces of paper or Styrofoam on the diaphragm of the speaker.
o Now disconnect and connect the wire attached to the dry cell several times and observe.

Observations: - Write down your observations.

o ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3.2

Method: -

o Take somewhat large speaker at your home.

o Arrange a way to supply electricity and sound to the speaker and keep it horizontally in the way
that its diaphragm is up.
o Take some water into a glass container or a saucer which is approximately equal to the size of
the diaphragm of the speaker. Keep it on the diaphragm of the speaker.
o Now supply music to the speaker.
o Observe the water container.

Speaker water container

Observations – Write down your observations.

o ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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 3.3

Method -

o Put a dice into a balloon. Inflate the balloon. Tie the opening of the balloon and shake it.

Observations – Write down your observations.

o ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3.4

Method

o As shown in the diagram, keep fingers on your throat (larynx).

o Pay your attention to what you feel with your fingers while producing a low sound.
o Then gradually increase the volume of sound you produce and pay attention to what you feel
with your fingers.
o Record your observations.

Observations –

o ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
o ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
o ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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How do humans produce sound through voice?

Do you know?

In human, voice is produced,

By vibration of vocal cords in the larynx,

Why do men haveWhen airvoices

deeper (exhale air)women?
than is made to pass through the silt of,

The vocal cords.

According to all activities given above, it is clear that sound is produced by vibrating
something.

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Activity 4: Sources of sound (musical instruments)

 Classify following instruments according to the way that they produce sound.

Drum flute Serpina cymbal conch shell violin guitar sitar

Mouth organ Tabla trumpet

Vibrating Membrane Vibrating Strings/bars Vibrating air column

Bee Mosquito

Locust
Grasshopper

Cricket/cicadas

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  Mention how each of the above animals produces its characteristic sound.
o …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

o ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

o …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

o …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

o …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Compare your answers with the facts given below.

 Mosquitoes – produce sound by fast motion of their wings while flying

 Grasshoppers- Produce sound by rubbing the bristles on their legs
 Cicadas/Crickets– Produce sound by vibrating a special membranous structure in their body
 Locusts – Produce sound by rubbing their wings together.
 Bees – Produce sound by fast motion of their wings

Activity 6 – How does sound propagate?

6.1
Can sound propagate without a medium (through vacuum)?

 A vacuum pump is necessary for this activity.

 How to make a vacuum pump at home?

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Activity 6 - How does sound propagate?

Things needed: - three bicycle valves, a big syringe, a somewhat large glass bottle with a lid (jam bottle),
a somewhat long plastic/rubber tube with the diameter equal to that of bicycle valves

Method: -

1) Make a hole at the side of the syringe as shown in the diagram and fix a bicycle valve to that
hole and seal around it.

2) Fix the other valve to the place where the needle of syringe is fixed. Be careful to fix the valves
in the correct direction. Use a piece of tube in order to fix the valves properly.

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3) Pierce the bottle lid and fix the remaining valve to it. Insert one end of the plastic/rubber tube
to that valve and seal it.

4) Now fix the other end of the rubber/plastic tube to the syringe. Now you have a vacuum pump.

o Now put something that produce sound into the bottle of the vacuum pump you made.
(a small phone, part of a toy etc.)
o Now gradually pull out the piston of the syringe.
o What happens to the sound emitted by the instrument when the piston is pulled out several
times?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
o You will realize that the intensity of sound emitted by the source of sound gradually decreases
when air is removed.

 Conclusion – Sound cannot propagate through a vacuum.

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Can astronauts communicate with each other using sound when they are in space? How do they communicate
with each other?

o Do you know?

Astronauts cannot hear sounds in the space. Thus, they find it difficult to communicate with each other.
Therefore they use special devices to communicate in the space.

6.2 Does sound propagate through air?

o ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Give an example to confirm it.

o ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Does sound propagate through water?

6.2 Method –

As shown in the diagram, make a

toy stethoscope. Keep one funnel
Balloon
of it in a water basin and the other
Y- Tube
Membranes two funnels to the ears. Put your
hands into the water basin and
shake water in it. Can you hear a
Funnels sound?

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 6.4 Does sound propagate through solids?
Make a toy telephone with two
yoghurt cups and a piece of thread.

Engage in a conversation with a

friend at somewhat distant place
using the toy telephone.

Do you hear the person in the other

Toy telephone end?

Observations –

o ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Outline an experiment you can do to prove that sound travels at different speeds in different media.

 By above activities you can understand that sound propagates through air, liquids
and solids.
 Sound needs a medium for propagation.

The speed of propagation of sound is different in solid, liquid and gaseous media.

Speed of sound is highest in solid media. Speed of sound in liquid media is less than that of
solid media and it is lowest in gaseous media.

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 Assessment

1) Give examples from day today life instances for propagation of sound in solid, liquid and
gaseous media.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2) Why do you see light first and hear sound later when it is lightning and thundering though they
both occur at the same time?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3) A flute produces sound by vibrating …………………………………………………………………………………………..
4) Sound is produced by ……………………………………. something.
5) The highest speed of sound is in ……………………………………… medium.

Summary

Transmission of sound from one place Speed of propagation of sound

to another is known as propagation of
Gases < Liquids < Solids
sound

Sound does not

transmit through a
Sound is produced by
vacuum
vibrating something.
Sound
Sources of sound
are the instruments
that produce
sound.
Music is pleasant sound that
Natural sounds
is produced to a rhythm
Ex: - Sound of birds
Noise is unpleasant sound Sound of sea waves
that is produced without a
rhythm Artificial sounds

13 Ex: -Sound of a bell, vehicles