SOUND

Topics to be
Sound Covered
Transverse and Londitudinal
Waves Sound as longitudinal wave
Reflection of sound wave
Echo
Reverberation
SONAR
system
Characteristics of a
wave Characteristics of
sound Human Ear
 Soun
Sound is a form of energy d
which creates a sensation of hearing
when it reaches the ear.

Law of conservation of energy is also applicable to sound.

Sound is produced by vibrating objects.
For example: Striking a tuning fork, Vibrating vocal cords
(human voice)

Vibration : is a rapid back-and-forth motion of an object.

 How Sound is Produced?

The substance through which sound travels is called a medium.

A medium can be a solid, liquid, or gas.

Process of Sound Propagation:

Note: It is the disturbance caused by the vibrations that travels through the
medium, not the particles themselves.
 Sound travels in the form of wave

Sound as a Wave:

A wave is a disturbance that travels through a medium,

carrying energy.
Sound travels in the form of mechanical waves, which require
a medium to propagate.

This mechanism allows sound to move efficiently through solids,

liquids, and gases, enabling us to hear vibrations from various
sources.
 Mechanical Waves Electromagnetic Waves

Waves that require a medium Waves that do not require a medium

to propagate. to propagate.

Example: Sound Example: Light waves

waves Cannot travel Can travel through a

through a vacuum. vacuum.

 Q. State the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves.

Transverse Waves Longitudinal Waves

Particles oscillate perpendicular to the direction Particles oscillate parallel to the direction of
of wave propagation. wave propagation.

Has compressions (high-pressure regions)

Has crests (high points) and troughs (low points).
and rarefactions (low-pressure regions).

Examples: Light waves, water waves, and waves Examples: Sound waves, waves in a slinky,
on a string. and seismic P-waves.

Can travel without a medium (e.g., light in Always requires a medium (e.g., air, water, or
space). solid).

Do not require material medium particles Mechanical in nature; requires vibration of

to vibrate. medium particles.

Can be demonstrated using a rope. Can be demonstrated using a stretched

slinky.
TRANSVERSE WAVES LONGITUDINAL WAVES
 Compression Rarefaction
Region where particles are closely Region where particles are spread apart, resulting in
Definition
packed, resulting in high pressure. low pressure.

Pressure High pressure Low pressure

Density High density Low density
Particle
Particles are tightly packed together. Particles are spread apart.
Arrangeme
nt

Motion of Particles Particles move towards each other. Particles move away from each other.

The vibrating object moves forward, The vibrating object moves backward, pulling
Occurs When
pushing particles together. particles apart.

Forms the part of the wave where

Wave Type Forms the part of the wave where energy is spread
energy is compressed. out.

When a tuning fork vibrates and When the fork moves backward, creating a region
Example
compresses air in front of it. with less air pressure.
 Sound waves as longitudinal waves:

Sound waves are longitudinal waves because the particles of the

medium through which they travel vibrate parallel to the direction of
wave propagation:

When a sound is produced, it causes the surrounding particles

(like air molecules) to oscillate back and forth along the direction
in which the wave is moving.
This creates regions of compression (where particles are close
together) and rarefaction (where particles are spread out).
These compressions and rarefactions move through the
medium, transferring sound energy.
Thus, sound waves are longitudinal because the particle motion
(vibration) and wave direction are aligned.
 Production of Sound waves

Compression Rarefaction
 SOUND NEEDS A MEDIUM TO TRAVEL

Experiment: Sound and Air Medium

Setup: Electric bell placed inside an airtight glass
bell jar connected to a vacuum pump.
Observation:
Bell rings, and sound is heard when air is
present.
As air is gradually removed using the vacuum
pump, the sound becomes fainter.
When most air is removed, only a very feeble
sound is heard.
If all air is removed (complete vacuum), the
sound cannot be heard.
Conclusion: Sound requires a medium (like air) to
travel. In a vacuum, sound cannot propagate.
Q. Why are sound waves called mechanical waves?

A. Sound waves are called as mechanical waves because

they require a material medium, like air, water or silver, to
travel through. They cannot propagate in a vacuum.
Examples of mediums:
Air: Communication and hearing.
Water: Marine sound
transmission.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A
SOUND WAVES

Frequency Amplitude Speed

 Frequency (ν):
Frequency: the number of oscillations
(compressions and rarefactions) that
pass a fixed point in one second.

SI Unit: Hertz (Hz).

Related to the pitch of sound - How

the brain interprets frequency.

Higher frequency = Higher pitch.

Example: A violin has a higher pitch

due to its higher frequency compared
to a drum.
 Frequency (ν):

When a sound wave propagates through a medium, the density of the

medium oscillates between a maximum value (compression) and a
minimum value (rarefaction).
The time taken for one complete oscillation from maximum density to
minimum and back to maximum defines the time period (T) of the wave.
Q. A tuning fork produces sound waves of frequency 500
Hz. Calculate the time period of the waves.
 Amplitude (A):

The maximum displacement of particles from their

equilibrium position during a wave oscillation.
Determines: Loudness of the sound.
Loudness is a measure of the response of the
ear to the sound

Larger amplitude → louder sound.

Smaller amplitude → softer sound.

Behavior:
As sound travels away from the source, its
amplitude decreases, reducing its loudness.
 Wavelength (λ):
The distance between two consecutive
compressions (peaks or crests) or two
consecutive rarefactions (troughs) in a
sound wave.

SI Unit: Meter (m).

Symbol: lambda (λ).
The wavelength is the physical distance over which the wave
pattern repeats.

Example: If a sound wave moves through air, the distance from

one compression to the next compression or one rarefaction to
the next rarefaction is its wavelength.
 Speed (v):
The distance traveled by a sound wave
per unit time.

SI unit : m/s.

Factors Affecting Speed:

Depends on the nature of the

medium (solid, liquid, or gas).
Increases with temperature and
density
of the medium.
Example: Sound travels faster in
solids (e.g., iron) than in gases (e.g.,
air).
 Speed of Sound in Different Media
Sound propagates at a finite speed, which is much slower
than the speed of light. This explains why thunder is heard
after lightning is seen.
The speed of sound depends on the properties of
the medium (solid, liquid, or gas) and its
temperature.
Sound travels fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and
slowest in gases.
As the temperature of a medium increases, the speed of
sound also increases.
Examples:
Speed of sound in
air: At 0°C: 331
m/s At 22°C: 344
 Relation with between λ, v and ν
We know that, The speed of sound is defined as the distance a point on a sound
wave (such as a compression or rarefaction) travels per unit of time.
Formula for Speed of Sound:

The frequency (ν\nuν) is related to the time period by

Substituting this into the equation:

v=λ
ν
Hence, the speed of sound = wavelength × frequency.
Q. A sound wave has a frequency of 2 kHz and a wavelength
of m. Calculate its
0.5
speed.
Q. A person hears the sound of a thunderclap 4 seconds
after seeing the lightning. If the speed of sound in air is 340
m/s, calculate the distance of the thundercloud.
Q. In the figure, it is given that the wave of frequency 100Hz
is produced in the string. Find its amplitude, wavelength,
velocity and nature of the wave.
Q. A person is listening to a sound of 500 Hz while sitting
at a distance of 450 m from the source of the sound. What
is the time interval between successive compressions
reaching the person from the source?
 Effect of
sound on
density:

Effect of
sound on
pressure:

Graph for the

density and pressure
variations:
 All Important
Term
Terms! Definition

Compre The region in a sound wave where particles are crowded together, resulting in
ssion high density and pressure. Represented by the peaks in the wave graph.
(C)
The region in a sound wave where particles are spread apart, resulting in low density
and pressure. Represented by the troughs in the wave graph.
Rarefac
tion (R)
The distance between two consecutive compressions or rarefactions in a sound wave.
Its SI unit is metre (m).
Wavele
The number of oscillations or waves passing a given point per unit time. It is
represented by the Greek letter nu (ν) and its SI unit is Hertz (Hz).
ngth (λ)
The time taken for one complete oscillation of the wave (from one compression to
the next or one rarefaction to the next). Its SI unit is seconds (s).
Frequen The maximum disturbance or displacement in the medium from its mean
position. It determines the loudness of sound; larger amplitude means louder
sound.
cy (ν)
 Term Definition

How the brain interprets the frequency of sound. Higher frequency results in a
Pitch
higher pitch.

The measure of the ear’s response to sound, dependent on the amplitude of the
Loudness
sound wave. Louder sounds have greater amplitude and energy.

The amount of sound energy passing through a unit area per second. Intensity is
Intensity
a physical property and independent of human perception.

The distance traveled by a sound wave in a unit of time. It is the product of

Speed of
wavelength and frequency: v=λνv = λνv=λν. The speed of sound remains almost
Sound (v)
constant for all frequencies in the same medium under identical conditions.

Trough The lowest point in a sound wave, corresponding to rarefaction.

Crest The highest point in a sound wave, corresponding to compression.

Mechanica
A wave, such as sound, that requires a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to propagate.
l Wave
 Supersonic Speed and Sonic
Boom
Supersonic Speed: When an object travels faster than the speed of sound,
it is moving at supersonic speed.
Examples: Bullets, jet aircraft.

Sonic Boom:
A sharp and loud sound produced when a supersonic object
generates shock waves in the air.
These shock waves carry significant energy, causing intense air
pressure variations.
Effects: Can shatter glass.
May damage buildings
 Reflection of Sound
Like light, sound also bounces back when it falls on a hard surface. It is
called reflection of sound. The laws of reflection of light are also
applicable to reflection of sound.

i. The incident sound wave, the

reflected sound wave and normal at
the point of incidence lie in the same
plane.

ii. Anoftle of reflection of sound is always

equal to the anoftle of incidence of
sound.
 Echo
The phenomenon where a sound produced is heard aoftain due
to reflection is called an echo.

To hear a distinct echo sound, the time

interval between the original and reflected
sound must be at least 0.1s, as sound
persists in our brain for about 0.1s. The
minimum distance for obstruction or
reflective surface to hear an echo should
be
17.2 m. Multiple echoes can be heard due
to multiple reflections.
 Reverberati
on of sound caused by repeated reflections
Reverberation is the persistence
from walls, ceilinofts, and other surfaces in an enclosed space.
It occurs when a sound continues to be heard even after the source
stops producinoft it.
In larofte spaces such as auditoriums or halls, excessive reverberation is
undesirable as it distorts sound clarity, makinoft speech or music difficult
to understand.
To reduce reverberation:
Walls and Roofs: Covered with sound-absorbinoft materials like compressed
fibre board, rouofth plaster, or draperies.
Seats: Desioftned with sound-absorbinoft materials to minimize reflection.
These measures help improve sound quality and ensure clear acoustics in
larofte spaces.
 USES OF MULTIPLE REFLECTION OF SOUND

1. Meoftaphones, Horns, and Musical Instruments:

Devices like megaphones, horns, and instruments such as
trumpets and shehnais are designed to focus sound in a
specific direction.
These devices use a tube with a conical opening to reflect
sound waves successively, guiding most of the sound energy
forward without spreading it in all directions.

2. Stethoscope:
A stethoscope is a medical instrument used to listen to
sounds produced within the body, such as heartbeats
or lunoft sounds.
 USES OF MULTIPLE REFLECTION OF SOUND

In a stethoscope, sound waves are transmitted

to the doctor’s ears throuofth multiple reflections
of sound within the tubes.

3. Acoustic Desioftn of Halls:

The ceilinofts of concert halls, conference halls, and
cinema halls are often curved to ensure that
sound, after reflection, reaches all parts of the
space uniformly.
Sometimes, a soundboard is placed behind the
staofte to reflect sound evenly across the width of the
hall, enhancinoft sound distribution for the audience.
Q. What is reflection of sound waves?

A. When sound waves bounce off a surface, it’s called reflection

of sound waves.

Q. State the difference between echo and reverberation.

A. Echo - An echo is a single reflection of a sound wave.

Reverberation-Reverberation is the result of multiple
reflections
Q. Mention some of the applications of multiple reflection
of sound.

A. Applications of multiple reflection of sound:

(i) Stethoscopes - Used by doctors to hear patient’s
heartbeat.
(ii) Musical Instruments - Instruments like trumpets,
meghaphones, and loudspeakers are designed to amplify
the sound waves and to make them louder.
(iii) Concert halls - These halls is designed in curve structure
so
that sound relects and reaches all corners of the room.
 Range of Hearing

Audible Range:

The normal range of human hearing covers

frequencies from approximately 20 Hz to
20,000 Hz (20 kHz). This range is not equally
sensitive across all frequencies; our hearing
is most sensitive to frequencies between 2
kHz and 4 kHz.
 Inaudible Range:

Infrasound: Frequencies below 20 Hz are known as infrasound. Humans

cannot hear these frequencies, but they can still have physiological
effects on the body. Infrasound is sometimes produced by natural
events like earthquakes or by man-made sources.

Ultrasound: Frequencies above the audible range (above 20 kHz) are

referred to as ultrasound. Humans cannot hear ultrasound, but some
animals, such as bats and certain marine mammals, have the ability to
hear and use ultrasonic frequencies for various purposes like
navigation and communication.
 Applications of Ultrasound
[Link]:
Cleans hard-to-reach areas like spiral tubes,
odd- shaped parts, and electronic components.
Ultrasonic waves detach dust, grease, and dirt
in a cleaning solution.

2. Flaw Detection:
Detects cracks and defects in metal blocks
used in structures like buildings, bridges, and
machinery.
Ultrasound reflects back from defects,
indicating their presence.
 3. Medical Applications:
Echocardiography:
Ultrasound reflects from heart parts to create images of
the heart.

Ultrasonography:
Generates images of internal organs (e.g., liver, kidney,
gall bladder, uterus).
Used to detect stones, tumors, and abnormalities in
organs.
Helps in examining fetal development during
pregnancy.

Kidney Stones:
Breaks kidney stones into fine grains, which are expelled
through urine.
 Advantages Over Ordinary Sound:

Longer-wavelength sounds bend around defects and are unsuitable

for precise detection.

Ultrasound provides clear, reliable results for industrial and medical

uses.
Q. What is the difference in the speed of sound in solids,
liquids and gases?
A. The speed of sound is fastest in solids, slower in liquids and
the slowest in gases.

Q. What is the audible range of the human ear?

A. The audible range of the human ear is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
Q. State the difference between Infrasound and
Ultrasound.
A. Difference between Infrasound and Ultrasound are as
follows:
INFRASOUND ULTRASOUND
These include sounds of These include sounds of
frequencies below 20Hz. frequencies above 20,000 Hz.

These sounds are produced by These sounds are produced by

objects vibrating very slowly. objects vibrating very rapidly.
 SONAR System
The word ‘SONAR’ stands for ‘Sound Navigation
And Ranging’.

SONAR is a technique that uses ultrasonic waves

to measure the distance, direction, and speed of
underwater objects.

How SONAR Works (Components):

Transmitter: Produces and sends ultrasonic waves.

Detector: Receives reflected waves and converts

them into electrical signals. SONA
R
 SONAR System
Process:
Ultrasonic waves are transmitted through water.
The waves reflect back upon striking an object, such as the seabed or a
submerged obstacle.
The detector captures these reflected waves, and their travel time is analyzed
to determine the object’s distance.

Formula: Where:
d: Depth or distance of the
The total distance 2d traveled by the ultrasonic wave
object. v: Speed of sound in
is: water.
2d = v t: Time interval between
transmission and reception.
×t
Rearrange to calculate
d:
 SONAR System
Applications of SONAR:

Measuring Sea Depth: Determines the depth of oceans and seas (echo-ranging
method). Underwater Exploration: Locates underwater features like hills, valleys,
submarines, icebergs, and sunken ships.

Use of Ultrasound by Animals:

Bats:
Emit high-pitched ultrasonic squeaks to locate prey and navigate obstacles in the
dark. Reflected waves provide information about the object’s location and nature.

Porpoises:
Use ultrasound for navigation and finding food in dark environments.
Q. A ship sends out ultrasound that returns from the seabed
and is detected after 3.42s. If the speed of ultrasound
through seawater is 1531 m/s, what is the distance of the
seabed from the ship?
 Structure of Human
Ear
Hearing is the process by which the
ear converts pressure variations in air,
caused by sound waves, into electrical
signals that are transmitted to the
brain via the auditory nerve for
interpretation.

The ear consists of three parts :

outer ear, middle ear and inner ear.

The ears are the sense organs

which help us in hearing sound.
 Structure of Human
Ear
Part of the Ear Definition and Function

Outer Collects sound from the surroundings and channels it into the auditory

Ear canal. A tube-like structure that directs sound waves toward the eardrum.

(Pinna) A thin membrane that vibrates in response to pressure variations caused by

sound waves (compression and rarefaction).

Auditor
Contains three small bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup) that amplify the vibrations
from the eardrum.
y Canal

Converts pressure variations into electrical signals using sensory cells.

Eardru
m
(Tympan Transmits the electrical signals from the cochlea to the brain for
ic
Membra interpretation.
ne)
 Working of Human
Ear
When compression of sound wave strike the ear drum, the pressure
on the outside of ear drum increases and pushes the ear drum
inwards.

While during refraction ear drum moves outwards. Thus, ear drum
starts vibrating back and forth.

These vibrations are increased by three bones and middle ear

transmits these amplified pressure variations received from sound
waves to inner ear.

In the inner ear the pressure variations are turned into electric
signals by the cochlea.
Q. Why do we hear the sound produced by humming bees, but
not the sound of vibrations of a pendulum?
Q. A person hears an echo after 2 seconds. If the speed of
sound is 343 m/s, calculate the distance of the reflecting
surface.
Q. Give Reasons:
[Link] and thunder are produced simultaneously, but
thunder is heard a few seconds after the flash is seen.

b. An echo is heard faster on a hot day than on a cold day.

Q. Why is a dog considered most suitable by the police
for detective purposes?
Q. The drawing shows a ship 800 m from a cliff. A gun is fired on
the ship. After 5 seconds the people at the front of the ship hear
the sound of the gun again.

(a) What is the name of this effect?

(b) What happens to the sound at the cliff?
(c) How far does the sound travel in 5
seconds?
(d) Calculate the speed of sound.
Q. The frequency of a source of sound is 100Hz. How many
times does it vibrate in a minute?

A. The frequency of a source of sound is 100 Hz then it means

that the number of compressions and rarefactions passing a
given point in 1 second are 100.
So, in a minute number of compressions and rarefactions passing
a given point will be = 100×60
=6000
Hence, the given source of sound vibrates 6000 times in a
minute.
Q. A person clapped his hands near a cliff and heard the echo
after 5 s. What is the distance of the cliff from the person if the
speed of the sound, v is taken as 346 m/s?
A. Given that,
The time taken by the echo to reach back to the source (t) =
6s Velocity of the sound (v) = 346 m/s
Distance between person and cliff (d) = v X t
As sound travels back and forth to form an echo and hence
time is twice.
Now dividing the time take by 2 we get actual time (T) = 6/2 = 3
Therefore, the distance from person to the cliff (d) = 346 X 3 =
1038 m

The distance between the person and the cliff is 1038 meters.
Q. Suppose you and your friend are on the moon. Will you be able
to hear any sound produced by your friend?

A. No, you will not be able to hear any sound produced by your friend
on the moon.
Reason: Sound requires a medium (such as air, water, or solid materials)
to propagate. On the moon, there is no atmosphere — it is a vacuum.
Since there is no medium to carry the sound waves, the sound produced
by your friend cannot travel to your ears.
[Link] a sound wave travels through air, the air
particles:

a. Move permanently from one place to another

b. Vibrate along the direction of the wave
c. Vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the wave
d. Do not move at all
2. The speed of sound is maximum
in:

a. Solids
b. Liquids
c. Gases
d. Vacuum
3. The loudness of a sound depends on
its:

a. Frequency
b. Amplitude
c. Wavelength
d. Velocity
4. The time period of a wave is 0.01 seconds. What is its
frequency?

a. 10 Hz
b. 50 Hz
c. 100 Hz
d. 200 Hz
5. The range of audible frequencies for the human ear
is:

a. 200 to 1000 Hz
b. to 20,000 Hz
c. 50 to 15,000 Hz
d. 20 to 50,000 Hz