Homework - Sound

1. How does sound travel from place to place?
2. Can sound travel through a vacuum?
3. Compare the speed of sound in a gas, to that in a liquid and a solid.
4. What effect would you expect the density of a gas to have on the speed of a sound wave passing through it? Explain why.
5. Draw a labelled diagram of a stethoscope and explain how it works.
6. Why are there two different bells in a stethoscope?
7. What is the approximate speed of sound in air?
8. What is another word for the frequency of a sound wave?
9. Over what range of frequencies does human hearing extend?
10. In everyday life, what is meant by the amplitude of a sound wave?
11. What unit is used to measure the loudness of sounds?
12. What is meant by noise pollution? Explain the health risks of this.
13. What volume level is likely to result in hearing loss?
14. What steps can be taken to minimise the risk of hearing loss?

Optional Question - Research

The scale which is used to measure loudness is an example of a logarithmic scale. Find out what this means.