10 Sound Notes 2026
Exercises
Q.1] Choose the correct answer - Sound can travel through
(a) gases only
(b) solids only
(c) liquids only
(d) solids, liquids and gases
Answer- (d) solids, liquids and gases
Q.2] Voice of which of the following is likely to have a minimum frequency?
(a) Baby girl
(b) Baby boy
(c) A man
(d) A woman
Answer - (c) A man
Q.3] In the following statements, tick ‘T’ against those which are true and ‘F’
against those which are false.
(a) Sound cannot travel in a vacuum. - True
(b) The number of oscillations per second of a vibrating object is called its time
period. - False
(c) If the amplitude of the vibration is large, the sound is feeble. - False
(d) For human ears, the audible range is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. - True
(e) The lower the frequency of vibration, the higher the pitch. - False
(f) Unwanted or unpleasant sound is termed as music. - False
(g) Noise pollution may cause partial hearing impairment. - True
Q.4] Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
(a) Time taken by an object to complete one oscillation is called the time period.
10 Sound Notes 2026
(b) Loudness is determined by the amplitude of vibration.
(c) The unit of frequency is hertz.
(d) Unwanted sound is called noise.
(e) The shrillness of a sound is determined by the frequency of vibration.
Q.5] A pendulum oscillates 40 times in 4 seconds. Find its time period and
frequency.
Answer: The number of oscillations per second of the vibrating body is known as
the frequency of oscillation.
Frequency = Total number of oscillations
Total time taken = 50/5 = 10 Hz
The time period is the time taken to complete one oscillation. It is also the inverse
of frequency.
Time period = 1/Oscillating frequency = 1/10 = 0.1 s
∴ frequency = 10 Hz and Time period = 0.1 s
Q.6] 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: The time period is defined as the time taken to complete one oscillation.
It is also the inverse of frequency.
Time period = 1/ Oscillation frequency
Oscillation frequency = 500 Hz
The time period of the vibration = 1/500 = 0.002 s
Q.7] Identify the part which vibrates to produce sound in the following
instruments.
a) Dholak – It consists of a head which is a stretched membrane. Vibrations are set
into these stretched strings. When the head is beaten gently, these vibrations
produce sound, and thus Dholak produces sound.
10 Sound Notes 2026
b) Sitar – It is a musical instrument. Stretched strings are part of it. Vibrations are
produced when the string is plucked when played. These vibrations produce
sound, and thus sitar produces sound.
c) Flute – It’s an instrument which has holes in it. It is a hollow pipe. The air inside
the pipe is set into vibration when air is blown over its mouth, and this produces a
pleasant sound.
Q.8] What is the difference between noise and music? Can music become noise
sometimes?
Answer: Music is a sound which is pleasant to hear. Sounds from flutes, pianos and
violins are pleasant to hear. Noises are sounds which are unpleasant to hear.
Sounds which are unpleasant to hear are:
(a) Sounds from bus horns and truck horns.
(b) Electrical generator sounds.
(c) Gunshot sounds.
(d) Jackhammer sounds
Yes, sometimes, when the music is played at high volumes, it also becomes noise.
Q.9] List sources of noise pollution in your surroundings.
Answer: Noise pollution sources in ou surroundings are listed below:
(a) Bus and car horns
(b) Firecrackers and loudspeakers
(c) High volumes in televisions and transistors
(d) Mixers at home
(e) Sirens from factories
Q.10] Explain in what way noise pollution is harmful to humans.
Answer: A number of health issues are associated with noise pollution. They are as
follows:
10 Sound Notes 2026
(a) Stress
(b) Headache
(c) Hearing loss
(d) Insomnia
(e) Hypertension
Q.11] 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: It is better to buy the house which is three lanes away from the roadside
as there will be less noise as compared to the one on the main road. The noises
can be caused by vehicles; as the distance between the source and the listener
increases, the intensity of the noise decreases. So it’s better to buy the house
which is three lanes away from the roadside.
Q.12] Sketch the larynx and explain its function in your own words.
Answer:
10 Sound Notes 2026
When we swallow something, the larynx moves. There are two vocal cords inside
the larynx. The air passes through a small gap which is present in between them.
The lungs force the air into the gap when we speak, and this vibrates the vocal
cord, due to which sound is produced.
Q.13] 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 why?
Answer: The speed of light is more than the speed of sound. Thus, lightning is seen
first, which is accompanied by thunder later.
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