CBSE Class 9 Physics Chapter 11 Sound Worksheet with Answers
Welcome to the CBSE Class 9 Physics Chapter 11 Sound worksheet, designed to help you master one of the most practical and fascinating topics in physics. Sound surrounds us every day — from the alarm clock in the morning to music, speech, traffic noise, and even silence. This worksheet is structured to test your understanding of sound production, propagation, characteristics (pitch, loudness, timbre), reflection, echo, SONAR, and the human ear. Complete all sections within 90 minutes for best results. Print this page and solve it as a mock test to evaluate your readiness for school exams and the CBSE board.
Key takeaways
- ✓Sound is a longitudinal wave produced by vibrating objects and requires a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to propagate; it cannot travel in a vacuum.
- ✓Speed of sound varies by medium: fastest in solids (~5000 m/s in steel), slower in liquids (~1480 m/s in water), and slowest in gases (~343 m/s in air at 20°C).
- ✓Pitch depends on frequency (measured in Hertz); loudness depends on amplitude; timbre distinguishes sounds from different sources at the same pitch and loudness.
- ✓An echo is heard when reflected sound reaches the ear at least 0.1 seconds after the original sound, requiring a minimum distance of 17 meters from the reflecting surface.
- ✓SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging) uses ultrasound reflection to detect underwater objects and measure distances, vital for submarines, fishing, and medical imaging.
- ✓The human ear converts sound waves into electrical signals through the eardrum, ossicles, and cochlea; humans hear frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
- ✓Ultrasound (>20 kHz) and infrasound (<20 Hz) lie outside the human hearing range but have important applications in medicine, navigation, and animal communication.
Quick Chapter Recap: Sound (NCERT Class 9 Physics Chapter 11)
- Sound is a longitudinal wave requiring a medium; it cannot travel in vacuum
- Speed of sound: solids > liquids > gases (e.g., steel 5000 m/s, water 1480 m/s, air 343 m/s)
- Pitch ∝ frequency; Loudness ∝ amplitude; Timbre = unique sound quality
- Echo: distinct reflected sound heard ≥0.1 s after original (minimum distance 17 m)
- SONAR uses ultrasound reflection for underwater detection and distance measurement
- Human hearing range: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz; ultrasound >20 kHz, infrasound <20 Hz
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Q1. Sound is produced by: (a) stationary objects (b) vibrating objects (c) objects at rest (d) smooth surfaces
- Q2. Sound waves are: (a) transverse waves (b) longitudinal waves (c) electromagnetic waves (d) none of these
- Q3. In which medium does sound travel the fastest? (a) Air (b) Water (c) Steel (d) Vacuum
- Q4. The pitch of sound depends on its: (a) amplitude (b) frequency (c) speed (d) timbre
- Q5. The minimum distance required to hear an echo is approximately: (a) 10 m (b) 17 m (c) 34 m (d) 50 m
- Q6. SONAR stands for: (a) Sound Navigation and Rotation (b) Sound Navigation and Ranging (c) Sonic Navigation and Ranging (d) Speed Of Navigation And Ranging
- Q7. Ultrasound has frequency: (a) less than 20 Hz (b) between 20 Hz and 20 kHz (c) more than 20 kHz (d) exactly 20 Hz
- Q8. The eardrum is located in the: (a) outer ear (b) middle ear (c) inner ear (d) cochlea
Section B: Fill in the Blanks
- Q9. Sound cannot travel through __________ because there are no particles to carry the vibrations.
- Q10. The regions in a longitudinal wave where particles are closely packed are called __________.
- Q11. The sensation of sound that depends on amplitude is called __________.
- Q12. The characteristic that allows us to distinguish between sounds from a piano and a violin is called __________.
- Q13. The prolonged multiple reflections of sound that blend together are known as __________.
- Q14. The technology that uses sound reflection to detect underwater objects is __________.
- Q15. The audible range of frequencies for humans is from __________ Hz to __________ Hz.
- Q16. The spiral-shaped fluid-filled organ in the inner ear that converts vibrations into electrical signals is the __________.
Section C: True or False (with Correction)
- Q17. Sound travels fastest in gases. (True / False)
- Q18. The pitch of a sound is determined by its amplitude. (True / False)
- Q19. Echoes are produced only when sound reflects from soft surfaces like curtains. (True / False)
- Q20. Infrasound has a frequency greater than 20,000 Hz. (True / False)
- Q21. The ossicles are located in the inner ear. (True / False)
- Q22. A vibrating tuning fork produces sound by creating compressions and rarefactions in the surrounding medium. (True / False)
Section D: Short Answer Questions (2–3 Marks Each)
- Q23. [2 marks] Why is sound unable to travel through vacuum? Explain with an example.
- Q24. [2 marks] Define frequency and state its SI unit. How is frequency related to pitch?
- Q25. [3 marks] A man shouts near a cliff and hears an echo after 3 seconds. If the speed of sound in air is 340 m/s, calculate the distance of the cliff from the man.
- Q26. [2 marks] Differentiate between echo and reverberation.
- Q27. [3 marks] Explain how SONAR works. Mention one practical application.
- Q28. [2 marks] What is ultrasound? Give two uses of ultrasound.
- Q29. [2 marks] Name the three parts of the human ear and state the function of the eardrum.
Section E: Long Answer and HOTS Questions (5 Marks Each)
- Q30. [5 marks] Describe the process of production and propagation of sound in air. Use the terms 'vibration', 'compression', and 'rarefaction' in your answer. Draw a simple diagram of a longitudinal wave.
- Q31. [5 marks] Explain the three characteristics of sound: pitch, loudness, and timbre. How do they help us distinguish between different sounds? Give one example for each.
- Q32. [5 marks] A SONAR device on a ship sends a signal and receives an echo after 4 seconds. If the speed of sound in seawater is 1500 m/s, calculate the depth of the seabed. Also explain why SONAR uses ultrasound and not audible sound.
Section F: Case-Study Question (4 Marks)
Complete Answer Key with Explanations
- A1. (b) vibrating objects — Sound is always produced by vibration of an object.
- A2. (b) longitudinal waves — Particle displacement is parallel to wave direction.
- A3. (c) Steel — Sound travels fastest in solids, slowest in gases.
- A4. (b) frequency — Higher frequency = higher pitch.
- A5. (b) 17 m — Minimum distance = (340 m/s × 0.1 s) ÷ 2 = 17 m.
- A6. (b) Sound Navigation and Ranging — Standard acronym.
- A7. (c) more than 20 kHz — Ultrasound is above human hearing range.
- A8. (b) middle ear — The eardrum separates outer and middle ear.
- A9. vacuum — No particles means no medium for sound propagation.
- A10. compressions — High-pressure regions in longitudinal wave.
- A11. loudness — Loudness depends on amplitude of vibration.
- A12. timbre (or quality) — Allows us to distinguish between different instruments.
- A13. reverberation — Multiple reflections blend together.
- A14. SONAR — Sound Navigation and Ranging technology.
- A15. 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz — Audible range for humans.
- A16. cochlea — Spiral organ in inner ear containing hair cells.
- A17. False. Correction: Sound travels fastest in solids, not gases.
- A18. False. Correction: Pitch is determined by frequency, not amplitude.
- A19. False. Correction: Echoes are produced when sound reflects from hard, rigid surfaces.
- A20. False. Correction: Infrasound has frequency less than 20 Hz; ultrasound is >20 kHz.
- A21. False. Correction: The ossicles (hammer, anvil, stirrup) are in the middle ear.
- A22. True. — This correctly describes sound production by vibration.
- A23. Sound requires a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to propagate because sound waves are mechanical waves that travel by particle vibration. In vacuum, there are no particles to vibrate and transfer the disturbance, so sound cannot travel. Example: Astronauts in space use radios because sound cannot travel in the vacuum of space.
- A24. Frequency is the number of vibrations or oscillations completed in one second. SI unit: Hertz (Hz). Frequency is directly related to pitch — higher frequency produces higher pitch, and lower frequency produces lower pitch.
- A25. Given: Time = 3 s, Speed = 340 m/s. Total distance = 340 × 3 = 1020 m. Distance of cliff = 1020 ÷ 2 = 510 m. (Sound travels to cliff and back.)
- A26. Echo: A distinct repetition of sound heard separately after reflection, occurring when the reflected sound reaches the ear ≥0.1 s after the original. Reverberation: Prolonged, blended sound caused by multiple reflections in a confined space, where echoes overlap and are not heard separately.
- A27. SONAR sends ultrasound waves into water. When these waves hit an object (like the seabed or a submarine), they reflect back. The device measures the time taken for the echo to return. Using the formula distance = (speed × time) ÷ 2, it calculates the distance to the object. Application: Used by ships to measure ocean depth, detect underwater objects, locate fish schools, or navigate safely.
- A28. Ultrasound is sound with frequency greater than 20,000 Hz, above the human hearing range. Uses: (i) Medical imaging (ultrasound scans for pregnancy and organs), (ii) Cleaning delicate instruments, detecting cracks in metal structures, and SONAR technology.
- A29. Three parts: Outer ear (pinna and ear canal), Middle ear (eardrum and ossicles), Inner ear (cochlea). Eardrum function: It is a thin membrane that vibrates when sound waves strike it, transmitting vibrations to the ossicles in the middle ear.
- A30. Production: Sound is produced when an object vibrates. Vibrations cause disturbances in the surrounding medium. Propagation: These disturbances travel as longitudinal waves. The vibrating object creates compressions (regions where particles are pushed together, high pressure) and rarefactions (regions where particles are spread apart, low pressure). These compressions and rarefactions move forward through the medium, transferring energy from particle to particle without the particles themselves moving forward. Diagram: Draw a series of dots representing air particles, with clusters (compressions) and gaps (rarefactions) moving to the right, labeled accordingly.
- A31. (i) Pitch: Sensation of sound that depends on frequency. Higher frequency = higher pitch (e.g., a whistle); lower frequency = lower pitch (e.g., a drum). (ii) Loudness: Sensation depending on amplitude. Larger amplitude = louder sound (e.g., a shout vs whisper). (iii) Timbre (Quality): Characteristic that distinguishes sounds of the same pitch and loudness from different sources (e.g., a flute and a guitar playing the same note sound different due to different harmonics). Together, these help us recognize voices, instruments, and environmental sounds.
- A32. Given: Time = 4 s, Speed in seawater = 1500 m/s. Total distance = 1500 × 4 = 6000 m. Depth of seabed = 6000 ÷ 2 = 3000 m = 3 km. SONAR uses ultrasound because: (i) Ultrasound has short wavelength, so it can be directed in narrow beams for precise detection. (ii) It does not interfere with marine life or human hearing. (iii) Audible sound spreads in all directions and is less accurate for distance measurement.
- A33. (b) 680 m — Distance = speed × time = 340 × 2 = 680 m (total distance travelled).
- A34. (b) 340 m — Distance of cliff = 680 ÷ 2 = 340 m (one-way distance).
- A35. For a distinct echo to be heard, the reflected sound must reach the ear at least 0.1 seconds after the original sound. This requires a minimum distance of about 17 metres. If closer, the brain cannot distinguish the original and reflected sounds separately.
- A36. Reverberation would occur. The reflected sound would blend with the original, creating a prolonged, muddled sound rather than a distinct echo.
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Tips to Excel in Chapter 11 Sound
- Memorize definitions and key terms from NCERT word-for-word
- Practice echo and SONAR numericals daily; always show full working
- Draw labeled diagrams for ear structure and longitudinal waves
- Distinguish carefully between pitch vs loudness, echo vs reverberation, ultrasound vs infrasound
- Relate concepts to real life (concert halls, medical imaging, animal navigation)
- Solve previous year CBSE papers to understand question patterns and marking schemes
- Use CBSETUTOR.ai or other resources to resolve doubts immediately
Frequently asked questions
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