Sound | CIE IGCSE Physics Theory Questions 2023

1a1 mark

A healthy human ear can hear a range of frequencies.

Three frequency ranges are shown.

Draw a ring around the range for a healthy human ear.

0 Hz − 20 Hz 10 Hz − 10 000 Hz 20 Hz − 20 000 Hz

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1b2 marks

Explain the meaning of the term ultrasound.

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1c3 marks

A student listens to two different sounds, P and Q.

The two different sounds are represented on a computer screen on the same scale.

Fig. 8.1 shows the screens.

18-32-5a

State and explain how sound P is different from sound Q.

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5a2 marks

The speed of sound waves can be measured in different ways.

State a reasonable value for the speed of sound in air which the calculations resulting from any experimental method should find.

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5b6 marks

One method to find the speed of sound in air involves two people who stand a distance apart and then measure the time a sound takes to travel between them, as shown in Fig. 1.

(i)

For this investigation, complete the sentences describing the method.

Two people stand a distance of at least _____ apart.
The distance between them is measured using a _______
One person has two wooden blocks, which they bang together above their head.
The second person has a _______ which they start when they see the first person banging the blocks together and stops when they hear the sound.
This is then ________ several times and an ______ is taken for the time.

[5]

(ii)

State the equation used to calculate the speed of sound following this investigation.

[1]

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5c7 marks

Another method to find the speed of sound in air uses echoes as shown in Fig. 2.

(i)

For this investigation, complete the sentences describing the method.

A person stands at least _____ away from a wall
The distance is measured using a ______
The person claps two wooden blocks together and listens for the echo.
A second person has a stopwatch and starts timing when they hear the _____ and stops timing when they hear the ______
This is then ________ several times and an ______ is taken for the time.

[6]

(ii)

State the equation used to calculate the speed of sound following this investigation.

[1]

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5d10 marks

A third method to find the speed of sound in air uses as oscilloscope, as shown in Fig. 3.

(i)

For this investigation, complete the sentences describing the method.

Two ______ are connected to an oscilloscope and placed about _______ apart
A ______ is used to measure the distance
The oscilloscope is set up so that it triggers when the _______ microphone detects a sound
The time base is adjusted so that the sound arriving at both microphones can be seen on the screen
Two wooden blocks are used to make a large clap next to the ______ microphone
The oscilloscope is then used to determine the ________ between the sound arriving at each microphone
This is ________ several times and an _______ time difference calculated

[8]

(ii)

Complete the equation used to calculate the speed of sound following this investigation.

s p e e d o f s o u n d = \frac{. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .}{. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .}

[2]

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1a4 marks

Fig. 8.1 shows a student listening to the sound produced by a tuning fork.

na9INmxv_screenshot-2022-10-13-at-15-18-33

(i)

State how the tuning fork produces the sound.

[1]

(ii)

Complete the following sentence. Choose a word from the box.

C43KTw81_screenshot-2022-10-13-at-15-21-35

A sound wave is .............................................................

[1]

(iii)

A loudspeaker produces a sound with a frequency of 25 kHz.

A student with healthy ears cannot hear this sound. Explain why.

[2]

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1b2 marks

Fig. 8.2 represents a sound wave travelling in air.

screenshot-2022-10-13-at-16-07-56

(i)

The air particles are moving. On Fig. 8.2, draw two arrows in opposite directions to show the movement of the air particles.

[1]

(ii)

Use Fig. 8.2 to determine the wavelength of the sound wave.

wavelength = ...................................................... cm [1]

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1c4 marks

Describe a method of using water waves to demonstrate refraction.

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5a2 marks

The text describes the process by which scientists worked towards the current accepted value for the speed of sound.

Read the text then answer the questions relating to it.

Measuring the speed of sound in air

1	After the wave nature of sound had been identified, many attempts were made to measure its speed in air.
	The earliest known attempt was made by the French scientist Gassendi in the 17th century.
	Gassendi timed the interval between seeing the flash of a gun and hearing the bang from some distance away.
	He assumed that, compared with the speed of sound, the speed of light is infinite.
5	Gassendi concluded that the speed of sound was 480 m/s.
	A much better value of 350 m/s was obtained by the Italian physicists Borelli and Viviani using the same procedure.
	In 1738 a value of 332 m/s was obtained by scientists in Paris.
	This is remarkably close to the currently accepted value considering the measuring equipment available to the scientists at that time.
	In 1740 another Italian, Bianconi, showed that sound travels faster when the temperature of the air is greater.
10	Since 1986 the accepted value for the speed of sound has been 331.29 m/s at 0 °C.

Explain why Gassendi needed to assume that ‘compared with the speed of sound, the speed of light is infinite’ (line 4).

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5b3 marks

Use Gassendi’s value for the speed of sound (line 5) to calculate the time between seeing the flash of a gun and hearing the sound if the observer was standing 2.5 km from the gun.

time = ____________________ s

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5c1 mark

The value obtained by Borelli and Viviani is described as being ‘much better’ than that obtained by Gassendi (line 6).

Explain why modern writers would judge this result as 'much better'.

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5d4 marks

The passage refers to Bianconi's discovery that the speed of sound in air depends on temperature (line 9).

The equation to find the speed of sound in dry air can be written

$c = k \sqrt{(θ + 273.15)}$

Where θ is the temperature in °C, and k is a constant.

Calculate a value for k using data from the passage. You do not need to give units for k.

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1a3 marks

Fig. 8.1 shows a tuning fork and a wooden block.

18p3-8a

(i)

The tuning fork is hit against the wooden block and then makes a sound.

Describe how the tuning fork produces the sound.

[1]

(ii)

The tuning fork produces a sound with a frequency of 659Hz.

State whether a healthy human ear can hear this frequency of sound.

Explain your answer.

[2]

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1b2 marks

Fig. 8.2 represents the sound wave produced by a tuning fork.

18p3-8b

A second tuning fork produces a different sound.

Compared with the sound represented in Fig. 8.2, this sound is quieter and has half the frequency.

On Fig. 8.2, draw the wave to show the sound produced by the second tuning fork.

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Sound (CIE IGCSE Physics)

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