Reflection of Sound – Echo,

Resonance.
Topic-1 Concepts covered: Echoes, Natural
vibrations, Damped vibrations,
Forced vibrations, Resonance

Revision Notes
¾¾Range of hearing : ¾¾Reflection of sound waves :
The average frequency range over which the human The returning back of the sound wave on striking a
ear is sensitive is called audible range. The audible surface such as wall, metal sheet, etc., is known as
range of sound for human beings is from 20 Hz to reflection of sound wave. It does not require a smooth
20000 Hz. As people grow older, their ears become less and shining surface like mirror. The reflection of
sensitive to higher frequencies. sound takes place in accordance with the same laws
those governing the reflection of light. The condition
¾¾Infrasonic sound : for reflection of sound wave is that the size of the
The sound of frequencies lower than 20 Hz are known reflecting surface must be bigger than the wavelength
as infrasonic sounds or infrasound, which cannot be of the sound wave.
heard by human beings. It is generated during ¾¾Echo :
earthquake. It is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener
¾¾Ultrasonic sound : sometime after the original sound. Basically, a
The sounds of frequencies higher reflected sound from an (distant) object is heard after
Scan the original sound has ‘‘died down.’’ e.g., The echoes
than 20000 Hz are called as ultrasonic this topic are produced by the bottom of a well, by a building or
sounds or ultrasound which cannot by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room.
be heard by human beings. Dogs can
¾¾Bats and dolphins make use of the phenomenon of
hear ultrasonic sounds of frequency
echoes in nature.
upto 50000 Hz. This is why dogs are Introduction to
used for detective work by the police. ¾¾Trawlerman makes use of echoes for finding the depth
sound
of ocean beds or for detecting submerged objects.
Monkeys, bats, cats, dolphins, leopard
and tortoise can also hear ultrasonic ¾¾RADAR and SONAR also make use of echoes for
finding the position and distance of an enemy airplane,
sounds. Dolphins, tortoise and rats can also produce
under water dangers.
ultrasonic sounds as well as hear ultrasonic sound.
¾¾A tuning fork is made by shaping a metal piece in the ¾¾The vibrations of a body which take place under the
form shown alongside. It enables us to produce a pure influence of an external periodic force acting on it are
sound note. called the forced vibrations.
¾¾Conditions for formation of echo/hearing the echo ¾¾The frequency of vibrations of a body executing forced
distinctly : vibrations equals to the frequency of the applied
(i)  The size of the obstacle/reflector periodic force. Examples : vibrations produced in the
must be large compared to the diaphragm of microphone sound box with frequency
wavelength of the incident sound matching the speech of speaker.
(for reflection of sound to take ¾¾Resonance is a special case of forced vibrations. When
place). the frequency of an externally applied periodic force
(ii) The distance between the source of on a body is equal to its natural frequency, the body
sound and the reflector should be readily begins to vibrate with an increased amplitude.
atleast 17 m ( so that the echo is This phenomenon is known as resonance. The
heard distinctly after the original vibrations of large amplitude are called the resonant
sound is over). vibrations. For example, tuning of a radio is based on
(iii) The intensity or loudness of the Scan resonance.
sound should be sufficient for the this topic ¾¾Condition for resonance :
reflected sound reaching the ear Resonance occurs only when the frequency of the
to be audible. The original sound applied force is exactly equal to the natural frequency
should be of short duration. of the vibrating body.
¾¾Echoes also find use in medical field Echo
for imaging of human organs (womb, Example 1
liver, uterus).
Two pendulums C and D are suspended from a wire
¾¾Echoes find application in SONAR (Sound navigation
and ranging). In order to find the distance of obstacle as shown in the figure given below. Pendulum C
from ship, waves are transmitted and then reflected is made to oscillate by displacing it from its mean
waves are received by the receiver. position. It is seen that D also starts oscillating.
Let the distance of the obstacle from source of sound
wire
be “d” then,

C D

(i) Name the type of oscillation, C will execute.

(ii) Name the type of oscillation, D will execute.
(iii) If the length of D is made equal to C, then what
2d = v × t difference will you notice in the oscillations of D?
Where, (iv) What is the name of the phenomenon when the
v is the velocity of ultrasonic waves in water and t is length of D is made equal to C? [ICSE 2019]
the time between sending and receiving of waves.
Ans. (i) Free vibration / damped vibrations
¾¾The periodic vibrations of a body of decreasing
amplitude in presence of a resistive force are called the (ii) Forced vibrations
damped vibrations. Examples : oscillations of simple (iii) D vibrates with the same amplitude as
pendulum in air. C or C and D vibrate with maximum
¾¾The periodic vibrations of a body of constant amplitude amplitude alternately.
in the absence of any external force on it, are called the (iv) Resonance.
free vibrations. Examples : vibration in instruments  [ICSE Marking Scheme, 2019]
like sitar, violin when they are plucked.
¾¾Difference between the free and damped vibrations :
S. No. Free vibrations Damped vibrations
1. The amplitude of free vibrations remains The amplitude of damped vibrations gradually
constant and the vibrations continue forever. decreases with time and ultimately the vibrations
cease.
2. There is no loss of energy in free vibrations. In each vibration, there is some loss of energy in the
form of heat.
No external force acts on the vibrating body. The frictional or damping force acts to oppose the
3.
The vibrations are only under the restoring motion.
force.
The frequency of vibrations is nearly equal to The frequency of vibrations is less than the natural
4. the natural frequency and it remains constant. frequency.
82
¾¾Difference between the free and forced vibrations :
S. No. Free vibrations Forced vibrations
1. The vibrations of a body in absence of any The vibrations of a body in presence of an external
resistive force are called the free vibrations. periodic force are called the forced vibrations.
2. The frequency of vibration depends on the The frequency of vibration is equal to the frequency
shape and size of the body. of the applied force.
3. The frequency of vibration remains constant. The frequency of vibration changes with change in
the frequency of the applied force.
4. The amplitude of vibration is constant. The amplitude of vibration depends on the
frequency of applied force.

¾¾Difference between the forced and resonant vibrations :

S. No. Forced vibrations Resonant vibrations
1. The vibrations of a body under an external The vibrations of a body under an external periodic
periodic force of frequency different than the force of frequency exactly equal to the natural
natural frequency of the body are called the frequency of the body are called the resonant
forced vibrations. vibrations.
2. The amplitude of vibration is usually small. The amplitude of vibration is very large.
3. The vibrations of the body are not in phase The vibrations of the body are in phase with the
with the external periodic force. external periodic force.
4. These vibrations last for a very small time These vibrations last for a long time after the
after the periodic force has ceased to act. periodic force has ceased to act.


 Characteristics of Sound
Topic-2 Concepts Covered: Loudness, pitch, quality, sound level in dB
and noise pollution

Revision Notes
¾¾Characteristics of Sound Waves The time period of a wave is the reciprocal of its
Sound waves can be described by its : frequency. i.e.,
l Wavelength 1 1
Time period = Or T =

The distance between the two consecutive Frequency ν
compressions (C) or two consecutive rarefactions
(R), is called the wavelength. Wavelength is the 1 1
Or Frequency = Or
minimum distance in which sound wave repeats Time period T
itself. Its SI unit is metre (m). It is denoted by ‘l‘.
l Amplitude
l Frequency
The maximum displacement of the particles of the

The number of complete waves (or oscillations) medium on either side from their original mean
produced in one second is called frequency of the positions on passing a wave through the medium,
wave. It is the number of vibrations that occurs per is called amplitude of the wave. It is used to
second. The frequency of a wave is fixed and does describe the size of the wave. It is usually denoted
not change even when it passes through different by A. Its SI unit is metre (m). The amplitude of a
substances. Its SI unit is hertz (Hz). It is denoted by wave is the same as the amplitude of the vibrating
‘n’ or ‘f ‘. body producing the wave.
l Time Period l Speed

The time taken by two consecutive compressions  he distance travelled by a wave in one second is
T
or rarefactions to cross a fixed point is called the called speed of the wave or velocity of the wave.
time period of the sound wave. In other words, Under the same physical conditions, the speed
the time required to produce one complete wave of sound remains same for all frequencies. It is
(or oscillations) is called time period of the wave. represented by letter ‘v’.
It is denoted by symbol T. Its SI unit is second (s). Its SI unit is metre per second (ms-1).
¾¾Relationship among speed, Scan ¾¾Loudness is proportional to the square of amplitude
frequency and wavelength of a wave this topic of the wave.
Suppose distance travelled by a wave ¾¾Pitch is that characteristic of sound by which an acute
is λ (wavelength) in time T; then the (or shrill) note can be distinguished from a grave or
speed is given by flat note.
Characteristics
 ¾¾Pitch of a note depends on its frequency. Two
v of sound
notes sounded on the same instrument with same
T
1 amplitude, will differ in pitch when their vibrations
We know that, f = are of different frequencies.
T
¾¾Quality (or timbre) of a sound is that characteristic
Therefore, v = λ × f or (v = f λ) which distinguishes the two sounds of the same
Or, Speed (or velocity) = Frequency × Wavelength loudness and same pitch, but emitted by two different
¾¾Three main characteristics of a given musical sound instruments.
are (i) loudness, (ii) pitch and (iii) quality or timbre. ¾¾The quality of a musical sound depends on the
¾¾Loudness is the property by virtue of which a loud waveform.
sound can be distinguished from a faint one, both Thus the quality of a musical sound depends on the
having the same pitch and quality. number of the subsidiary notes and their relative
amplitudes present along with the principal note.
¾¾Comparison between musical sound and noise
S. No. Musical sound Noise
1. It is pleasant, smooth and acceptable to the It is harsh, discordant and non-acceptable to the
ear. ear.
2. It is produced by the vibrations which are It is produced by an irregular succession of
periodic. disturbances.
3. All the component waves are similar without The component waves change their character
any sudden change in their wavelength and suddenly and they are of short duration.
amplitude.
4. The sound level is low (between 10 dB and The sound level is high (above 120 dB).
30 dB).
5. The wave form is regular. The wave form is irregular.
Example : The sound produced by the Example : The sound produced by an aeroplane,
musical instruments. road roller, industrial machines, etc.