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CIE iGCSE Co-Ordinated Science P3.4 Sound Exam Style Questions Paper 1

CIE iGCSE Co-Ordinated Science Paper 1 - All Chapters

Question

The table shows the highest frequency of sound heard by different animals.

The highest frequency sound that a healthy human ear can hear is \(f\).

Which animals cannot hear sound of frequency \(f\)?

A. a bird only
B. a bird and a cat only
C. a bat, a bird and a cat
D. none of the animals in the table

▶️ Answer/Explanation
The highest frequency a healthy human ear can hear is approximately \(20\mathrm{kHz}\). A bird can only hear up to \(10\mathrm{kHz}\), which is below the human limit, so it cannot hear frequency \(f\). A cat can hear up to \(79\mathrm{kHz}\), and a bat can hear up to \(200\mathrm{kHz}\), both above the human limit, so they can hear \(f\). Therefore, only the bird cannot hear the sound of frequency \(f\).
✅ Answer: (A)

Question

The diagram shows a loudspeaker. The cone of the loudspeaker vibrates backwards and forwards in the direction of the arrows. These vibrations produce a sound wave in the air.

Which change results in the loudspeaker producing sound with a higher pitch?

A. increasing the distance moved by the cone during each vibration
B. increasing the time taken for each vibration
C. decreasing the distance moved by the cone during each vibration
D. decreasing the time taken for each vibration

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Pitch is determined by frequency – higher frequency means higher pitch. Frequency is the number of vibrations per second, which is the inverse of the time period. Decreasing the time taken for each vibration (period) increases the frequency, thus raising the pitch. Changing the distance moved (amplitude) affects loudness, not pitch.
✅ Answer: (D)

Question

A student claps his hands once when standing 100 m away from a large wall.

The speed of sound in air is 330 m/s.

How long after clapping does the student hear an echo?

A. 0.30 s
B. 0.61 s
C. 1.7 s
D. 3.3 s

▶️ Answer/Explanation
An echo means the sound must travel from the student to the wall and then reflect back, a total distance of \(2 \times 100 = 200\text{ m}\).
Using \(\text{time} = \dfrac{\text{distance}}{\text{speed}}\), the time taken is \(\dfrac{200}{330}\).
This works out to approximately \(0.61\text{ s}\).
✅ Answer: (B)

Question

The diagrams represent two different sound waves, P and Q, drawn to the same scale.

How do the loudness and the pitch of the sounds compare?

▶️ Answer/Explanation
A wave’s amplitude relates to the loudness of the sound, and its frequency (number of waves per unit time) relates to the pitch.
Comparing waves P and Q drawn to the same scale shows differences in their amplitude and/or wavelength.
The statement that correctly links these differences to changes in loudness and pitch is the correct one.
✅ Answer: (D)

Question

An electric bell is suspended by a rubber band in a glass jar. The hammer hits the bell and makes it ring.

A pump removes air from the jar. The hammer still hits the bell but no sound can be heard.
Why does this happen?

A. A medium is needed to transmit sound waves.
B. The bell cannot vibrate in a vacuum.
C. The pitch of the sound is now outside the range of human hearing.
D. There cannot be an electric current in a vacuum.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Sound waves are longitudinal mechanical waves that travel by causing particles in a medium to compress and rarefy; when air is removed from the jar, a vacuum forms and there are no particles to carry the vibrations from the bell to the outside.
The bell still vibrates (as the hammer still strikes it), ruling out option B; the electric current and pitch are unaffected by the absence of air, ruling out C and D.
✅ Answer: (A)
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