National 4

Physics
Waves and Sound
Summary Notes and Questions

Name: _______________________

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 Wave Characteristics Summary
Notes

Key Areas

I can make comparison of longitudinal and

transverse waves.

I can explain frequency as the number of

waves per second.

I can describe the wavelength and amplitude of

transverse waves.

I can make use of numerical or graphical data to

determine the frequency of a wave.

I can make appropriate use of appropriate

relationship between wave speed, frequency and
wavelength.

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 Wave characteristics, parameters and behaviours

Types of wave

There are two different types of waves you will meet in this course, transverse waves and
longitudinal waves

In transverse waves the particles oscillate (vibrate) at right angles to the motion of the wave

direction
of
particles’
motion

direction of the wave motion

In longitudinal waves the particles oscillate in the same direction as the motion of the wave

direction of particles’ motion direction of wave’s motion

Examples of transverse waves include light waves, radio waves, microwaves.

Sound is an example of a longitudinal wave

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Properties of waves
λ
crest

λ amplitude
amplitude
λ
trough

Waves are used to transfer energy. The particles oscillate around a fixed position but the
energy travels along the wave.

Several important features of a wave are shown in the diagram. These are explained in the
following table

Wave property Symbol Definition Unit Unit symbol

crest highest point
of a wave
trough lowest point of
a wave
frequency f number of hertz Hz
waves produced
in one second
wavelength λ horizontal metre m
distance
between
successive
crests or
troughs
amplitude A half the metre m
vertical
distance
between crest
and trough
wave speed v distance metres per ms-1
travelled per second
unit time

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Distance, speed and time

One of the most important equations you will meet in Physics concerns the relationship
between distance, speed and time. This means that the speed of an object (or wave) is a
measure of how much distance is covered in a certain time.

Another way of looking at this is that the distance travelled depends on how fast you travel
and for how long. We represent this as shown below

distance=speed ×timed=v t

where d is the distance travelled in metres (m)

v is the average speed in metres per second (ms-1)

and t is the time in seconds (s)

Example A wave travels 90 m in 30 s. Calculate the speed of the wave

90
d=v t90=v ×30 =v3 m s−1=v
30

Wave speed, frequency and wavelength

By multiplying the frequency and wavelength we find that this is equal to the speed of the
wave. We therefore say that:

wave speed =frequency × wavelengthv=fλ

Example: A wave has a wavelength of 0.5 m and a frequency of 4 Hz. What is its speed?

v=fλ v=4 ×0.5 v=2 m s−1

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 Wave
Characteristics
Questions

Exercise 1 – Wavelength

1. ‘A-B’ represents one wavelength in the diagram below.

6
 State two other pairs of letters which represent one wavelength.

2. How many waves are shown in each of the diagrams below?

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

3. The wave train shown below is 20 metres long. How long is each wave?

4. The wavelength of the waves in the diagram below is 3 cm. What is the distance
between X and Y?

X Y

5. What is the wavelength of the waves in the diagram below?

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6. Draw a wave train consisting of 2 waves. Put the labels wavelength and
amplitude on your diagram in appropriate places.

7.

(a) How many waves are shown in the diagram above?

(b) What is the wavelength of each of these waves?

8.
(a) Calculate the wavelength of the waves shown below.

X Y

(b) What is the distance from X to Y in this wave train?

9. A stone is thrown into a pond, and a wave pattern is produced as shown below.
The wavelength of the waves is 6 cm.

Calculate the distance, d, travelled by the outside wave.

Exercise 2 – Frequency
1. Calculate the missing values in the following table. Show all working.

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 Frequency (Hz) Number of Waves Time (s)

(a ) 10 5

(b) 30 60

(c) 800 3 200

( d) 12 9 600

(e ) 50 90

( f) 20 000 15

2. If a wave machine produces 5 waves each second what is the frequency of the
machine?

3. A man stands on a beach and counts 40 waves hitting the shore in 10 seconds.
What is the frequency of these waves?

4. In 100 seconds a particular smoke alarm emits 1 000 000 sound waves. What is
the frequency of the sound waves?

5. A girl is sitting on the edge of a pier. It takes 0·625 seconds for one complete
wave to pass underneath her. What is the frequency of the waves?

6. A girl stands on a beach and counts 15 waves crashing onto the shore in a time of
1 minute. What is the frequency of the waves?

7. A rock is thrown into a pond and an overhead photograph is taken 2 seconds

later. The photograph, as shown in the diagram below, reveals that 5 waves were
produced in the 2 second period.

What was the frequency of these water waves?

8. In a swimming pool a wave machine creates waves with a frequency of 2 Hz. How
many waves are produced in 5 minutes?

9. A smoke alarm sends out high-pitched sound waves with a frequency of 12 000
Hz. If the alarm is on for 30 seconds how many waves does it emit?

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10. A pebble was thrown into a still pond and wave ripples were produced at a rate
of 3 waves per second.
The diagram below represents the wave pattern in the pond a short time after
the pebble was dropped.

(a) What was the frequency of the waves, in Hertz?

(b) How many waves are represented in the diagram above?

(c) How long did it take for this wave pattern to form?

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Exercise 3 – The Wave Equation
1. Calculate the missing values in the following table. Show all working.

Frequency (Hz) Wavelength (m) Speed (ms-1)

(a ) 5 3

(b) 50 0·02

(c) 2 0·5

( d) 20 000 340

(e ) 20 600

2. Water waves in a swimming pool are travelling with a speed of 2 ms -1 and have a
wavelength of 0·8 m. What is their frequency?

3. The musical note ‘E’ has a frequency of 320 Hz. If sound

travels with a speed of 340 ms-1 in air calculate the
wavelength of this sound in air.

4. Sound of frequency 440 Hz has a wavelength of 3·41 m in water. Calculate the

speed of sound in water.

5. What is the speed of waves which have a frequency of 50 Hz and a wavelength

of 3 m?

6. A wave machine in a swimming pool produces waves with a frequency of 1 Hz. If

they travel across the pool at 1·5 ms-1 what is their wavelength?

7. A wave generator in a ripple tank creates waves which have a wavelength of 0·02
m. If the speed of these waves is 1·2 ms-1 what is their frequency?

8. The speed of sound in steel is 5 200 ms-1. What is the wavelength of a sound
wave which has a frequency of 6 500 Hz in steel?

9. How fast will waves with a frequency of 15 000 Hz and a wavelength of 2·2 cm
travel?

10. What is the wavelength of waves which have a frequency of 6 000 000 Hz and a
speed of 1800 ms-1?

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11. A boy counts 40 complete waves along the length of a swimming pool. The pool is
50 m long and the waves are travelling with a speed of 3·75 ms -1. Calculate:
(a) the wavelength of the waves.
(b) the frequency of the waves.
(c) the number of waves produced in 1 minute.

12. Waves, like the ones shown in the diagram below, are produced at a rate of 8
000 Hz. Calculate the speed of these waves.

0·3 m

13. A wave pattern formed 3 seconds after a pebble is dropped into a pond is shown

12 cm

below.
(a) How many waves were formed in 3 seconds?
(b) What was the frequency of the waves?
(c) What was the wavelength of the waves?
(d) Calculate the speed of the waves.

14. 30 water waves per second are created in a pool. Some of these are represented
in the diagram.

(a) State the wavelength of the waves in metres.

(b) Calculate the wave speed.

28 cm
15. The waves shown in the diagram below were produced at a rate of 30 waves per
minute.

(a) What is their frequency?

(b) What is their wavelength? 9m
(c) Calculate the speed of these waves.

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Exercise 4 – Mixed Problems: The Wave Equation, Distance and Time
1. It takes 25 seconds for a wave in a swimming pool to travel from one end of the
pool to the other end. The wave has a frequency of 2·5 Hz and its wavelength is
0·4 m.
(a) What is the speed of the wave?
(b) What is the length of the pool?

2. An alarm is set off creating sound waves of frequency 10 000 Hz. It takes 0·6
seconds for the sound to reach a man who is standing at a
distance of 204 m from the alarm.
(a) Calculate the speed of the sound waves.
(b) Calculate the wavelength of the sound waves.

3. A wave generator in a ripple tank creates waves, which have a wavelength of

0·025 m, at a rate of 6 waves per second. The ripple tank is 0.6 m long.
(a) What is the frequency of the waves?
(b) Calculate the speed of the waves.
(c) How long will it take for a wave to travel the length of the ripple tank?

4. Consider the waves in the following diagram:

0.24 m

(a) What is the wavelength of these waves?

(b) Calculate the speed of the waves given that it takes 0·001s for one
complete wave to pass a point.
(c) Calculate the frequency of the waves.
(d) How many of these waves would pass a point in 1 minute?

5. The pond waves represented in the diagram below have a frequency of 24 Hz

and a wavelength of 10 cm. The pattern was formed by dropping a stone into the
water.

(a) Calculate the speed of the waves.

(b) How long did it take for this pattern to form from the moment the stone
made contact with the water?

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 Answers
Exercise 1 – Wavelength
1. CE, FG 3. 5 m 8.
2. 4. 15 cm (a) 12 m
(a) 3 5. 40 m (b) 96 m
(b) 2 7. 9. 18 cm
(c) 4 (a) 12
(d) 2.5 (b) 2 m

Exercise 2 – Frequency
1. 2. 5 Hz 9. 360 000
(a) 2 Hz 3. 4 Hz 10.
(b) 0.5 Hz 4. 10 000 Hz (a) 3 Hz
(c) 4 s 5. 1.6 Hz (b) 6
(d) 800 s 6. 0.25 Hz (c) 2 s
(e) 4 500 7. 2.5 Hz
(f) 300 000 8. 600

Exercise 3 – The Wave Equation

1. 7. 60 Hz (b) 2 Hz
(a) 15 ms-1 8. 0.8 m (c) 2 cm
(b) 1 ms-1 9. 330 ms-1 (d) 0.04 ms-1
(c) 0.25 m 10. 3 x 10-4 m = 0.0003m 14.
(d) 0.017 m 11. (a) 0.07 m
(e) 30 Hz (a) 1.25 m (b) 2.1 ms-1
2. 2.5 Hz (b) 3 Hz 15.
3. 1.06 m (c) 180 (a) 0.5 Hz
4. 1500 ms-1 12. 2 400 ms-1 (b) 1.8 m
5. 150 ms-1 13. (c) 0.9 ms-1
6. 1.5 m (a) 6

Exercise 4 – Mixed Problems: The Wave Equation, Distance and Time

1. 4.
-1
(a) 1 ms (a) 4 cm
(b) 25 m (b) 40 ms-1
2. (c) 1 000 Hz
-1
(a) 340 ms (d) 60 000
(b) 0.034 m 5.
3. (a) 2.4 ms-1
(a) 6 Hz (b) 0.25 s
-1
(b) 0.15 ms
(c) 4 s

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 I can make sound
level measurements
(including use of the
decibel scale).

Sound
I can identify noise

Summary pollution; risks to

human hearing and Large cymbals are clashed

Notes methods of a long distance from the

observer. The observer
protecting hearing.
starts the stopclock when
he
I can describe &
Key Areas explain applications sees the signal that the
of sonar and cymbals have been clashed
I can analyse sound
ultrasound.
waveforms where
amplitude and
I can describe sound
frequency change.
reproduction
and stops it when the
technologies.
I can make use of
different methods
I can describe
to measure the
applications of noise
speed of sound in sound is heard. Using the
air. cancellation. distance travelled d
(measured by a trundle

I can make Sound

appropriate use of
Speed of sound in air wheel), the time on the
the relationship
stopclock t the equation
between distance, We can use two methods
d=vt is used to calculate
to measure the speed of
speed and time for the speed of sound. This
sound in air.
waves. is not a particularly
Method 1. accurate method as it

15
flag
cymbals
relies on human reaction
time.

Method 2.

mallet and
block electronic timer
microphone

The distance d is
measured with a metre
stick. The mallet is struck
against the block. As the
sound reaches the first
microphone the timer is
started, when it reaches
the second microphone
the timer is stopped. The
equation d=vt is used to
calculate the speed again.
This is a much more
accurate method.

The exact value for the

speed of sound in air can
vary, however it is around
340 ms-1.

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Amplitude and Inside average 50
frequency home
lower frequency Normal 60
We can analyse waveforms conversation at
by using a device called an higher 1m distance
frequency Phone ringing, 70
oscilloscope.
busy street
If we were to think of Alarm clock at 80
these in terms of sound, 0.5 m distance
waves with a small Threshold of 85
amplitude would be quiet hearing
damage
and those with a large
Truck heard 90
amplitude would be loud.
from pavement,
Waves with a low busy factory
frequency would be low Hair dryer 100
pitched and waves with a Lawn mower at 110
The oscilloscope allows us
high frequency would be a distance of
to view waves and see
high pitched. 1m
what effect changing Rock concert 120
certain properties has. 1m from
loudspeaker,
Decibel scale and noise vuvuzela horn
pollution at a distance of
1m
Noise levels are measured Jet engine at a 130
in decibels (dB). These can distance of
original wave 50m
be measured using a sound
Threshold of 120 -
level meter. Regular
pain 140
exposure to sounds above
Stun grenade 180
85-90dB can cause Theoretical 194
damage to hearing. Some limit for sound
typical noise levels are travelling
smaller amplitude given below through the
Earth’s
Situation Decibels atmosphere
larger
Threshold of 0
amplitude
human hearing
Leaves rustling 20 We can protect against
in the wind damage to hearing by loud
Whisper, 30 noises by wearing ear
rustling paper plugs or ear protectors.
Quiet 40
residential area Sonar and ultrasound
1
© Glowgraphics taken from Images for at night
schools
17
Humans can hear sounds converters are used to
with frequencies between process the sound signal
20Hz and 20000Hz. so that it can be
Sounds with a frequency transmitted easier, then a
above 20000Hz are called digital to analogue device
ultrasound. allows the sound to be
reproduced faithfully at
Ultrasound can be used to
the other end.
examine a foetus in the
womb. A picture is built up If two waves travelling in
by timing how long it takes opposite directions were
to receive an echo from an to meet, the result would
ultrasound pulse. be that they cancel each
Ultrasound can also be other out. The same would
used to break up kidney happen any time a crest of
stones without the need one wave meets a trough
for invasive surgery. of another.

Boats and submarines use This effect is

sonar to detect shoals of called
fish, the sea bed or other interference
submarines. Pulses of of waves
sound are sent out and can make use
+
then the echo is detected. of
This is similar to how bats
and dolphins use
echolocation.

=
Sound reproduction and
noise cancellation

Sound is an analogue
signal. This means that it
varies continuously over a
range of values. Most
recording technology
nowadays uses digital
technology. Digital signals
can be one of two values
with nothing in between.
Analogue to digital
18
 Sound
Questions

1
Exercise 1 – Speed of Sound and Light
1. Find the missing values in the following table.
Distance (m) Average speed Time (s)
(ms ) -1

(a ) 3 x 10 8
5

(b) 340 5

(c) 500 1·47

( d) 8 600 25·3

(e ) 6 500 3 x 10 8

( f) 255 340

2. Calculate how far light travels in:

(a ) 1 second (b) 3 seconds (c) 10 seconds.

3. Calculate how far sound travels in:

(a ) 1 second (b) 3 seconds (c) 10 seconds.

4. A golfer is worried about the dangers of being out on the course during a
thunder and lightning storm. He suddenly sees a flash of lightning and then
counts 4 seconds before he hears the clap of thunder. How far away is the
storm?

5. A group of physics students set out to measure the speed of sound. The pupils
stand a distance of 200 metres from the teacher who has a flash gun and
starter pistol. The pupils have to start their stopcock when they see the flash
and stop it when they hear the bang. The experiment is carried out three times
and the results are shown in the table below.
Distance from gun to pupils Time recorded Average speed
(m) (s) (ms-1)

200 m 0·58

200 m 0·56

200 m 0·59

Calculate the speed of sound for each time recorded.

2
6. Spectators are told to stay behind a barrier which is 100m away from where
fireworks are being set off at a display. How long will it take spectators to hear
a ‘banger’ after they have seen it explode?

7. During the Edinburgh Tattoo, tourists on Princes Street see

the cannon smoke from the castle 3 seconds before they hear
the bang. How far are they from the castle?
8. A plane spotter sees a military jet and then 4 ×5 seconds later hears the roar
from its engine. How far away is the jet?

9. In a 100m sprint race the timers start timing when they

hear the starter pistol and stop timing when they see the
sprinters cross the finishing line.

(a) Does this method overestimate or underestimate their sprint times?

Explain your answer.

(b) How could the accuracy of the timing be improved?

10. During the demolition of the high rise flats in the Gorbals, spectators saw the
explosion first and heard it 7 seconds later.

(a) Why was there a delay?

(b) How far from the explosion were they standing?

3
 Exercise 2 – Oscilloscope Traces: Amplitude, Volume, Frequency, Pitch

1. The electrical signals of 4 different sounds are displayed on an oscilloscope.

A B C D

A
(a) Which wave has the smallest amplitude?
(b) Which wave would have the loudest volume?
(c) Which wave has the lowest frequency?
(d) What is the same about waves B and C?

2. Four more different sounds signals are displayed on an oscilloscope.

C A B C D

A
(a) Which wave has the largest amplitude?
(b) Which wave would have the loudest volume?
(c) Which wave has the highest frequency?
(d) Which wave has the highest pitch?

3. A sound signal is viewed on an oscilloscope and is shown below. If the volume of

the sound is increased, but the frequency is kept the same, draw what the new

C
wave would look like.

4
4. A sound signal is viewed on an oscilloscope and is shown below. If the volume of
the sound is kept constant, but the frequency is increased, draw what the new
wave would look like.

5
Exercise 3 – Noise Levels and Frequency Ranges

1. Engineers working near aeroplane jet engines wear ear protectors.

Explain why ear protectors are needed.

2. The numbers 130, 110, 90 and 60 are missing from the table below. Copy the
table and fill in the missing numbers.

Sound Noise Level

(dB)
Pop group at 1m
Heavy truck at 5m
Jet engine at 50m
Normal conversation at 1m

3. What is the pain threshold of human hearing in decibels?

4. What is the threshold of human hearing damage in decibels?

5. What is the frequency range of human hearing?

6. What is the name given to frequencies of sound beyond the range of human
hearing?

7. An ultrasonic whistle is used to call a dog.

(a) Is the frequency of the sound 10 kHz, 18 kHz or 22 kHz?

(b) Explain your answer.

8. The following table shows the upper frequency limit of hearing for some
different animals. Which animals would be able to hear a sound with a frequency
of 35 000 Hz?

Animal Frequency of the upper limit of

hearing (Hz)
Cat 45 000
Dog 30 000
Human 20 000
Whale 80 000

6
Exercise 4 – Uses of Sound

1. A boy is standing at a distance of 100 m from a large building. He shouts loudly

and hears an echo.

100 m

(a) How far did the sound travel between leaving the boy and returning to him
as an echo?
(b) If the speed of sound in air is 340 ms-1, how long did it take for the sound
to cover this distance?

2. A ship uses sonar to find the depth of the sea. The sonar system reflects
ultrasound off the sea bed.

The time between the transmitted and received ultrasound signals is 0.5s. The
speed of sound in water is 1500 ms-1.

(a) Calculate the total distance travelled by the ultrasound pulse.

(b) What was the depth of the sea?

7
3. An ultrasound pulse is transmitted into an expectant mother’s womb and
reflects from baby’s bottom. The pulse echo is detected 0·08 milliseconds
(0.00008 s) after being transmitted. The speed of sound through the body
tissue and fluid is 1 500 ms-1.

(a) Calculate the total distance that the pulse travels?

(b) How far from the transmitter is the baby’s bottom?

jelly

transmitter/detector

(c) Another pulse is reflected from the foot of the baby. If this reflected
pulse is detected 0·15 milliseconds (0.00015 s) after being transmitted,
how far from the transmitter is the baby’s foot?

4. During an ultrasound scan, a baby’s forehead is situated 0.075m from the

transmitter. The ultrasound pulse travelling at 1 500 ms -1 is reflected from the
baby’s forehead.

(a) What is the total distance travelled by the pulse?

(b) What time elapses between the transmission of the pulse and the detection
of the pulse echo?
(c) Why is ultrasound used to scan for the baby rather than x-rays?

8
 Answers
Exercise 1 – Speed of Sound and Light
1. 2. 5. 344.83 ms-1, 357.14 ms-1,
9
(a) 1.5 x 10 m (a) 3 x 108 m 338.98 ms-1.
(b) 1 700 m (b) 9 x 108 m 6. 0.29 s
(c) 340.14 ms-1 (c) 3 x 109 m 7. 1 020 m
(d) 339.92 ms-1 3. 8. 1 530 m
-5
(e) 2.17 x 10 s (a) 340 m 10.
(f) 0.75 s (b) 1 020 m (a) The speed of light is
(c) 3 400 m much faster than the speed
4. 1 360 m of sound
(b) 2 380 m

Exercise 2 – Oscilloscope Traces: Amplitude, Volume, Frequency, Pitch

1. 2.
a) C a) A
b) A b) A
c) D c) A
d) Frequency and Pitch d) A

3. 4.

Exercise 3 – Noise Levels and Frequency Ranges

1. Ear protectors reduce the noise level transmitted to the ears to prevent loud noises above
85dB from damaging hearing.
2.
Sound Noise Level (dB)
Pop group at 1m 110
Heavy truck at 5m 90
Jet engine at 50m 130
Normal conversation at 1m 60
3. 120 – 140 dB
4. 85dB
5. 20 – 20000Hz
6. Ultrasound
7. 22kHz, because this is the only frequency above the range of human hearing.
8. Cat AND Whale

9
Exercise 4 – Uses of Sound
1. 3.
(a) 200m (a) 0.12 m
(b) 0.59s (b) 0.06 m
2. (c) 0.11 m
(a) 750m 4.
(b) 375m (a) 15 cm
(b) 1 x 10-4 s

10