Nature of Sound Waves

Which of the following best describes how sound waves travel through air?

• Sound waves travel in a straight line.

• Sound waves travel in a vacuum.

• Sound waves travel as vibrations through air particles.

• Sound waves travel as light waves.

What happens to the pitch of a sound if the frequency of the sound wave increases?

• The pitch becomes lower.

• The pitch becomes higher.

• The pitch remains the same.

• The pitch disappears.

If a sound wave has a high amplitude, what can be said about the sound?

• The sound is very soft.

• The sound is very loud.

• The sound is very high-pitched.

• The sound is very low-pitched.

Which of the following materials would sound waves travel through the fastest?

• Air

• Water

• Steel

• Vacuum

What is the main reason sound cannot travel through a vacuum?

• There is no light in a vacuum.

• There are no particles to vibrate in a vacuum.

• Sound waves are too weak to travel in a vacuum.

• Sound waves need water to travel.

How does the speed of sound change when it moves from air to water?

• It slows down.

• It speeds up.

• It stops completely.

• It remains the same.

Which of the following best explains why we hear echoes?

• Sound waves are absorbed by surfaces.

• Sound waves are reflected off surfaces.

• Sound waves are refracted through surfaces.

• Sound waves are scattered by surfaces.

If two sound waves have the same frequency but different amplitudes, what is different about the sounds they produce?

• They have different pitches.

• They have different loudness.

• They have different speeds.

• They have different directions.

What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency in a sound wave?

• As wavelength increases, frequency increases.

• As wavelength increases, frequency decreases.

• Wavelength and frequency are not related.

• Wavelength and frequency are always equal.

Which of the following changes when a sound wave moves from one medium to another?

• The frequency of the sound wave.

• The amplitude of the sound wave.

• The speed of the sound wave.

• The direction of the sound wave.