Time Period of an oscillating source is 6 seconds.

“Displacement from mean position” vs “time” graph for

any one particle of the medium will look like the following for different time durations we plot it for:

If we graph it for first 6 seconds, it will look like this (in 3 sec it displaces in one direction and then in other)

After another 3 seconds, i.e. time duration of 9 seconds, it will look like this:

After 3 more seconds i.e. time duration of 12 seconds, it will look like this:

This will keep repeating, that’s why its shown continuously as:

Time Period

Horizontal distance between any two adjacent similar points (AE or BF or CG or DH) tells the “Time Period”.

Each particle of the medium, in which a constant sound wave travels, oscillates with same Time Period.
Hence, the “displacement vs time” graph of every point will look similar.
1 1
𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = 𝑜𝑟 𝑓 = Less time period, means more freq i.e. more osc per sec.
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑 𝑇

Following shows graphs of four sound waves (i.e. a particle in each of the 4 mediums) simultaneously:
4 types of lines are used: continuous, dashes, dots, dash-n-dot. Q1) Identify which one represents:

a) Low amplitude, High freq:

b) Low amplitude, Low freq:

c) High amplitude, High freq:

d) High amplitude, Low freq:

Q2) Compute freq of each wave

Plotting “Displacement from mean position vs Distance from source” for a sound wave

In short this graph is often called “Displacement vs distance” graph but you have to be careful thinking
about which ‘Displacement’ and ‘Distance’ are being talked of.

Picture below shows snapshot of a sound wave taken at a point of time. Layers of air are disturbed from
original position. The source, leftmost, is vibrating horizontally around mean position. Short vertical lines
under the disturbed layers show the original position of the particle when there was no sound. The
slanting/inclined lines will help you locate where the particle at that distance has got displaced to now.

At the point this picture was taken, the source was moving rightwards causing a compression. It has not
yet moved to the rightmost extreme position, which is shown by an arrow marked as Amplitude, but is
around halfway. The source had oscillated many times before this moment that’s why we see many
compressions and rarefactions that have travelled away from the source:

We have taken particles originally positioned at distances of 1 mm, 2mm, 3mm and so on.

Plot the “displacement vs distance” graph considering every 5th particle to get a rough idea of the graph.
Join the dots forming a smooth curve. When particles move to the right we call it positive displacement
and if they move leftwards we call it –ve displacement. Below shows another picture taken a moment
later when the source has reached it extreme position to the right. Repeat the exercise to see how the
graph looks now:

Roughly sketch “pressure vs distance” on the second graph shown above. Take compression and
rarefactions of equal sizes. Is distance between crests of both graphs equal?
Q1. A sound source (e.g. guitar string) oscillates twice and following graphs are created. First one is drawn
for the particle at the string itself. Second one tells how various particles at different distances from the
string are displaced at the end of two oscillations of the source. [micro = 10-6]

a) What is the “Time Period” of the wave?___________

b) Mark the time period as three possible distances in appropriate diagram/diagrams above.
c) What is the “Wavelength” of the wave?_____________
d) Mark the wavelength as three possible distances in appropriate diagram/diagrams above.
e) Redraw the two graphs if the oscillations has continued till 14 micro seconds from beginning:

f) What is the speed of the given sound wave? Show stepwise working (i.e. write given info, formula,
calculation).

g) What is the frequency of the sound wave shown above? Will it be audible to humans? Why?
 h) What is the amplitude of the wave? Ans: __________________

Q2. Below shows “Pressure vs Distance from source” graph for a sound wave at some point of time:

a) How many compressions do you see in the above graph? Ans:_____________

b) How many rarefactions do you see in the above graph? Ans: ____________
c) At the point of time the above graph was made was it a compression or a rarefaction immediately
close to the source of sound? Give reason.

d) What is the wavelength of the wave? Ans:__________________

e) How many times did the source oscillate/vibrate to produce the above wave? Ans:_____________
f) This sound was produced in gas where its speed is 200 m/s. What is the time period of the wave?

g) For how long (time duration) did the particle oscillate to produce the above wave graph?

h) How many compressions and rarefactions do you see from 1 to 1.75 meters?
Ans:__________________________________
i) What is the horizontal distance between a compression and nearest rarefaction?
Ans:
j) As per the graph, how many waves have passed through a point 2m away from source?
Ans:

Q3. 200 compressions were created in 10 seconds.

 a) How many rarefactions would have been created? Why? Ans: ____________________________
b) What is the frequency and time period of the sound wave? Show stepwise working & reasoning.

c) If distance between two nearest compressions is 100 meters. What is the speed of the wave?

d) Would this wave have been created in air or solid? Why?

Q4. Sound of 100hz and amplitude of 2mm is produced in a gas, a liquid and a solid. Speed of sound in the
gas is 500m/s and in the liquid is 1000m/s and in the solid is 2000m/s

a) Will the displacement vs time graph for all three mediums be the same or different? Given reason.

b) Calculate the wavelength of these waves in each medium. Draw the “displacement vs distance”
graph for each medium with a different colors. Amplitude is given as 2mm in all cases.

Q5. Speed of sound in air is 340m/s. Three sound sources, A, B and C produced waves with frequencies
17Hz, 34Hz and 68Hz.
 a) What is the wavelength of waves created by each source? Plot them using different colours on the
Displacement vs Distance graph assuming an amplitude of 2mm for each of them.

b) How many compressions and rarefactions will be present from each source of sound till a distance
of 100meters from it, at any point of time?

c) How many times will the sources of sound (A, B and C) oscillate in 1 minute?

Q6. Sound was heard by a person 7 seconds after the lightening occurred in the clouds. If speed of sound
in air is 330m/s, what is the distance between the person and the clouds? Show diagram and stepwise
working.

Q7. In the below diagram 1cm represents 100m. Sound reflected multiple times as shown. Take speed of
sound as 300m/s. After how long would the person hear the gunshot after it was fired? Show stepwise.
 5cm

7cm

Q8. A boy struck a drum in front of a mountain and heard the echo after some time. Speed of sound is 340
m/s and the distance between the boy and the mountain is 255meters.

a) Draw a diagram of the above showing motion of sound with arrows.

b) Do stepwise calculation to find the time duration after which he hears the echo starting from the
time he struck the drum.

Q9. An airgun shoots a pallet at a speed of 370m/s. Pallet hits a glass kept 195 meters away. Speed of
sound in air at that place is 300m/s. After how long will the shooter hear the glass’ shattering sound from
the moment he shot? Draw diagram and show stepwise working with appropriate reasonings.
Q10 Plot displacement vs time for sounds with
freq and amplitudes as:
a) 40Hz&1mm b) 20Hz&2mm c) 10Hz&2mm

Q11. Following show displacement vs time graphs of 5 sound sources in air. Graphs use same scale.

A B C
Scale:

x: 1 div = 1 sec

D E
1. Compare figures B and C. Which of the two will have a louder sound? Why?

2. Which note has the higher frequency—B or C? Why?

3. Which note is of a higher frequency—A or D?

4. In E is sound getting louder or softer with time? Give reason. _______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

5. The wave shown in picture A was made by a particular guitar string. Which other picture do
you think was produced by striking the same string but with more force? Why?

6. Which of the waves has the biggest Time Period? How much is it?

7. Which wave has largest wavelength? Assume that all of them were created in same medium, i.e. speed
of the sound wave is the same.

8. Which of the five pictures shows sound that is the quietest? Why?
9. Which note has the least pitch (or most gruff/deep)?
10. What similarities/differences do you notice about the two graphs that show the waves produced
by the same guitar string?
11. Which of these figures could be the sound produced by squeak of a rodent? Give reason.
Q12. Following shows “pressure vs distance from source” for waves created in same medium (i.e. same
speed). Which is shriller and why?