Sound Review

Parents,

     This week we are working on the energy of sound.  An email has also gone out with two attachments to help students study sound.  Students need to focus on and study the following on sound:


What happens to a sound as the vibrations of an object increase in strength?
        A.      The sound becomes louder.
        B.      The sound becomes softer.
        C.      The sound waves get further apart.
        D.      The pitch of the sound is higher.


Use the table to answer the next two questions.
     
 Sound                                          Decibel Level                           Effect
 Jet airplane taking off                   160                                            Damage to hearing
 Chain saw                                     110                                                   
 Hair dryer                                      90                                             Annoying
 Ringing telephone                         80                                                     
 Normal conversation                     60                                             Acceptable
                        
 Which of the following might damage hearing?
        A.      hair dryer
        B.      conversation
        C.      ringing telephone
        D.      chain saw

Which of the following would be annoying but not damaging to hearing?
        A.     whisper at 30 decibels
        B.     vacuum cleaner at 75 decibels
        C.     power lawn mower at 90 decibels
        D.     personal cassette player on high at 112 decibels

What would you do to lower the pitch of a string on a violin?
        A.     Pluck the string very lightly.
        B.     Shorten the string.
        C.     Loosen the string.
        D.     Use a thinner string.  
       
What would you do to increase the intensity of the sound that a drum makes?      
        A.     Tap the drum harder.  
        B.     Loosen the drum head.
        C.     Tighten the drum head.
        D.     Make the drum head out of a thicker material.  

Which of the following would be most likely to cause hearing loss?
        A.     burglar alarm
        B.     a dog whistle
        C.     a jet plane taking off
        D.     a symphony concert

What causes an echo?
        A.     Sound waves are absorbed by an object.
        B.     Sound waves are transmitted through an object.
        C.     Sound waves are reflected off an object.
        D.     Sound waves completely disappear.

What would happen if you increased the frequency of a sound?
        A.     The sound would get louder.
        B.     The sound would get softer.
        C.     The sound would be higher in pitch.
        D.     The sound would be lower in pitch.      

What would happen if you increased the intensity of a sound?
        A.     The sound would get louder.
        B.     The sound would get softer.
        C.     The sound would be higher.
        D.     The sound would be lower.

Essay Questions:

How could a guitar be made to make a louder sound?

What could Whitney do to her drum if she wanted to raise the pitch of the sound her drum makes?

Explain how the size and shape of a sound source affect the pitch of a sound. Give two examples to support your idea.