C hapter 12

SOUND
Everyday we hear sounds from various
sources like humans, birds, bells, machines,
vehicles, televisions, radios etc. Sound is a
form of energy which produces a sensation
of hearing in our ears. There are also other
forms of energy like mechanical energy, light
energy etc. We have talked about mechanical
energy in the previous chapters. You have
been taught about conservation of energy,
which states that we can neither create nor
destroy energy. We can just change it from
one form to another. When you clap, a sound
is produced. Can you produce sound without
utilising your energy? Which form of energy
did you use to produce sound? In this Fig. 12.1: Vibrating tuning fork just touching the
chapter we are going to learn how sound is suspended table tennis ball.
produced and how it is transmitted through
a medium and received by our ears.
Activity _____________ 12.2
12.1 Production of Sound • Fill water in a beaker or a glass up to
the brim. Gently touch the water surface
with one of the prongs of the vibrating
Activity _____________ 12.1 tuning fork, as shown in Fig. 12.2.
• Take a tuning fork and set it vibrating • Next dip the prongs of the vibrating
by striking its prong on a rubber pad. tuning fork in water, as shown in Fig.
Bring it near your ear. 12.3.
• Do you hear any sound? • Observe what happens in both the
• Touch one of the prongs of the vibrating cases.
tuning fork with your finger and share • Discuss with your friends why this
your experience with your friends. happens.
• Now, suspend a table tennis ball or a
small plastic ball by a thread from a
support [Take a big needle and a
thread, put a knot at one end of the
thread, and then with the help of the
needle pass the thread through the
ball]. Touch the ball gently with the
pr ong of a vibrating tuning
fork (Fig. 12.1).
• Observe what happens and discuss
with your friends. Fig. 12.2: One of the prongs of the vibrating tuning
fork touching the water surface.

2018-19
 plucked vibrates and produces sound. If you
have never done this, then do it and observe
the vibration of the stretched rubber band.

Activity _____________ 12.3

• Make a list of different types of musical
instruments and discuss with your
friends which part of the instrument
vibrates to produce sound.

Fig. 12.3: Both the prongs of the vibrating tuning fork

12.2 Propagation of Sound
dipped in water. Sound is produced by vibrating objects. The
matter or substance through which sound
From the above activities what do you is transmitted is called a medium. It can be
conclude? Can you produce sound without solid, liquid or gas. Sound moves through a
a vibrating object? medium from the point of generation to the
In the above activities we have produced listener. When an object vibrates, it sets the
sound by striking the tuning fork. We can particles of the medium around it vibrating.
also produce sound by plucking, scratching, The particles do not travel all the way from
rubbing, blowing or shaking different objects. the vibrating object to the ear. A particle of
As per the above activities what do we do to the medium in contact with the vibrating
the objects? We set the objects vibrating and object is first displaced from its equilibrium
produce sound. Vibration means a kind of position. It then exerts a force on the adjacent
rapid to and fro motion of an object. The particle. As a result of which the adjacent
sound of the human voice is produced due particle gets displaced from its position of
to vibrations in the vocal cords. When a bird rest. After displacing the adjacent particle the
flaps its wings, do you hear any sound? Think first particle comes back to its original
position. This process continues in the
how the buzzing sound accompanying a bee
medium till the sound reaches your ear. The
is produced. A stretched rubber band when
disturbance created by a source of sound in

Can sound make a light spot dance?

Take a tin-can. Remove both ends to make it a hollow cylinder. Take a balloon and stretch it
over the can, then wrap a rubber band around the balloon. Take a small piece of mirror. Use
a drop of glue to stick the piece of mirror to the balloon. Allow the light through a slit to fall on
the mirror. After reflection the light spot is seen on the wall, as shown in Fig. 12.4. Talk or
shout directly into the open end of the can and observe the dancing light spot on the wall.
Discuss with your friends what makes the light spot dance.

Fig. 12.4: A beam of light from a light source is made to fall on a mirror. The reflected light is falling on the wall.

SOUND 161
the medium travels through the medium and

Q
not the particles of the medium.
uestion
A wave is a disturbance that moves 1. How does the sound produced by
through a medium when the particles of the a vibrating object in a medium
medium set neighbouring particles into reach your ear?
motion. They in turn produce similar motion
in others. The particles of the medium do not
move forward themselves, but the
disturbance is carried forward. This is what
happens during propagation of sound in a 12.2.1 SOUND NEEDS A MEDIUM TO TRAVEL
medium, hence sound can be visualised as a
wave. Sound waves are characterised by the Sound is a mechanical wave and needs a
motion of particles in the medium and are material medium like air, water, steel etc. for
called mechanical waves. its propagation. It cannot travel through
Air is the most common medium through vacuum, which can be demonstrated by the
which sound travels. When a vibrating object following experiment.
moves forward, it pushes and compresses the Take an electric bell and an airtight glass
air in front of it creating a region of high bell jar. The electric bell is suspended inside
pressure. This region is called a compression
the airtight bell jar. The bell jar is connected
(C), as shown in Fig. 12.5. This compression
to a vacuum pump, as shown in Fig. 12.6. If
starts to move away from the vibrating object.
When the vibrating object moves backwards, you press the switch you will be able to hear
it creates a region of low pressure called the bell. Now start the vacuum pump. When
rarefaction (R), as shown in Fig. 12.5. As the the air in the jar is pumped out gradually,
object moves back and forth rapidly, a series the sound becomes fainter, although the
of compressions and rarefactions is created same current is passing through the bell.
in the air. These make the sound wave that After some time when less air is left inside
propagates through the medium.
the bell jar you will hear a very feeble sound.
Compression is the region of high pressure
What will happen if the air is removed
and rarefaction is the region of low pressure.
Pressure is related to the number of particles completely? Will you still be able to hear the
of a medium in a given volume. More density sound of the bell?
of the particles in the medium gives more
pressure and vice versa. Thus, propagation
of sound can be visualised as propagation of
density variations or pressure variations in
the medium.

Fig. 12.5: A vibrating object creating a series of

Fig. 12.6: Bell jar experiment showing sound cannot
compressions (C) and rarefactions (R) in
travel in vacuum.
the medium.

162 SCIENCE
 waves. In these waves the individual particles
uestions

Q
of the medium move in a direction parallel to
1. Explain how sound is produced the direction of propagation of the
by your school bell. disturbance. The particles do not move from
2. Why are sound waves called one place to another but they simply oscillate
mechanical waves? back and forth about their position of rest.
3. Suppose you and your friend are This is exactly how a sound wave propagates,
on the moon. Will you be able to hence sound waves are longitudinal waves.
hear any sound produced by There is also another type of wave, called
your friend? a transverse wave. In a transverse wave
particles do not oscillate along the direction
12.2.2 SOUND WAVES ARE LONGITUDINAL of wave propagation but oscillate up and down
WAVES about their mean position as the wave travels.
Thus, a transverse wave is the one in which
the individual particles of the medium move
Activity _____________ 12.4 about their mean positions in a direction
• Take a slinky. Ask your friend to hold perpendicular to the direction of wave
one end. You hold the other end. propagation. When we drop a pebble in a
Now stretch the slinky as shown in pond, the waves you see on the water surface
Fig. 12.7 (a). Then give it a sharp push is an example of transverse wave. Light is a
towards your friend. transverse wave but for light, the oscillations
• What do you notice? If you move your
are not of the medium particles or their
hand pushing and pulling the slinky
pressure or density – it is not a mechanical
alternatively, what will you observe?
• If you mark a dot on the slinky, you wave. You will come to know more about
will observe that the dot on the slinky transverse waves in higher classes.
will move back and forth parallel to the
direction of the propagation of the 12.2.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF A SOUND
disturbance.
WAVE

We can describe a sound wave by its

• frequency
(a) • amplitude and
• speed.
A sound wave in graphic form is shown
in Fig. 12.8(c), which represents how density
and pressure change when the sound wave
(b) moves in the medium. The density as well as
the pressure of the medium at a given time
Fig. 12.7: Longitudinal wave in a slinky. varies with distance, above and below the
average value of density and pressure.
The regions where the coils become closer Fig. 12.8(a) and Fig. 12.8(b) represent the
are called compressions (C) and the regions density and pressure variations, respectively,
where the coils are further apart are called as a sound wave propagates in the medium.
rarefactions (R). As we already know, sound Compressions are the regions where
propagates in the medium as a series of particles are crowded together and
compressions and rarefactions. Now, we can represented by the upper portion of the curve
compare the propagation of disturbance in a in Fig. 12.8(c). The peak represents the region
slinky with the sound propagation in the of maximum compression. Thus,
medium. These waves are called longitudinal compressions are regions where density as

SOUND 163
Fig. 12.8: Sound propagates as density or pressure variations as shown in (a) and (b), (c) represents
graphically the density and pressure variations.

well as pressure is high. Rarefactions are the photoelectric effect which was later
regions of low pressure where particles are explained by Albert Einstein. The SI unit of
spread apart and are represented by the frequency was named as hertz in his honour.
valley, that is, the lower portion of the curve Frequency tells us how frequently an event
in Fig. 12.8(c). A peak is called the crest and a occurs. Suppose you are beating a drum. How
valley is called the trough of a wave. many times you are beating the drum in unit
The distance between two consecutive time is called the frequency of your beating
compressions (C) or two consecutive the drum. We know that when sound is
rarefactions (R) is called the wavelength, as propagated through a medium, the density
shown in Fig. 12.8(c), The wavelength is of the medium oscillates between a maximum
usually represented by λ (Greek letter value and a minimum value. The change in
lambda). Its SI unit is metre (m). density from the maximum value to the
minimum value, then again to the maximum
Heinrich Rudolph Hertz value, makes one complete oscillation. The
was born on 22 February number of such oscillations per unit time is
1857 in Hamburg, the frequency of the sound wave. If we can
Germany and educated at count the number of the compressions or
the University of Berlin. He rarefactions that cross us per unit time, we
confirmed J.C. Maxwell’s will get the frequency of the sound wave. It is
electromagnetic theory by usually represented by ν (Greek letter, nu). Its
his experiments. He laid the SI unit is hertz (symbol, Hz).
H. R. Hertz foundation for future The time taken by two consecutive
development of radio, telephone, telegraph compressions or rarefactions to cross a fixed
and even television. He also discovered the point is called the time period of the wave. In

164 SCIENCE
other words, we can say that the time taken The magnitude of the maximum
for one complete oscillation is called the time disturbance in the medium on either side of
period of the sound wave. It is represented by the mean value is called the amplitude of the
the symbol T. Its SI unit is second (s). wave. It is usually represented by the letter A,
Frequency and time period are related as as shown in Fig. 12.8(c). For sound its unit
follows: will be that of density or pressure.
1 The loudness or softness of a sound is
ν = .
T determined basically by its amplitude. The
A violin and a flute may both be played amplitude of the sound wave depends upon
at the same time in an orchestra. Both the force with which an object is made to
sounds travel through the same medium, vibrate. If we strike a table lightly, we hear a
that is, air and arrive at our ear at the same soft sound because we produce a sound wave
time. Both sounds travel at the same speed
of less energy (amplitude). If we hit the table
irrespective of the source. But the sounds
hard we hear a louder sound. Can you tell
we receive are different. This is due to the
why? A sound wave spreads out from its
different characteristics associated with the
sound. Pitch is one of the characteristics. source. As it moves away from the source its
How the brain interprets the frequency of amplitude as well as its loudness decreases.
an emitted sound is called its pitch. The faster Louder sound can travel a larger distance as
the vibration of the source, the higher is it is associated with higher energy. Fig. 12.10
the frequency and the higher is the pitch, shows the wave shapes of a loud and a soft
as shown in Fig. 12.9. Thus, a high pitch sound of the same frequency.
sound corresponds to more number of
compressions and rarefactions passing a
fixed point per unit time.
Objects of different sizes and conditions
vibrate at different frequencies to produce
sounds of different pitch.

Fig. 12.10: Soft sound has small amplitude and

louder sound has large amplitude.

The quality or timber of sound is that

characteristic which enables us to distinguish
Fig. 12.9: Low pitch sound has low frequency and one sound from another having the same pitch
high pitch of sound has high frequency. and loudness. The sound which is more

SOUND 165
pleasant is said to be of a rich quality. A sound The time taken by the wave to travel a
of single frequency is called a tone. The sound distance, d of 1.5 km is
which is produced due to a mixture of several
frequencies is called a note and is pleasant to
listen to. Noise is unpleasant to the ear! Music
Thus sound will take 2.1 s to travel a
is pleasant to hear and is of rich quality.
distance of 1.5 km.

Q
uestions

Q
1. Which wave property determines
uestions
(a) loudness, (b) pitch? 1. What are wavelength, frequency,
2. Guess which sound has a higher time period and amplitude of a
pitch: guitar or car horn? sound wave?
2. How are the wavelength and
frequency of a sound wave
The speed of sound is defined as the related to its speed?
distance which a point on a wave, such as a 3. Calculate the wavelength of a
compression or a rarefaction, travels per unit sound wave whose frequency is
time. 220 Hz and speed is 440 m/s in
We know, a given medium.
speed, v = distance / time 4. A person is listening to a tone of
500 Hz sitting at a distance of
λ
= 450 m from the source of the
T sound. What is the time interval
Here λ is the wavelength of the sound wave. between successive compressions
It is the distance travelled by the sound wave from the source?
in one time period (T) of the wave. Thus,
The amount of sound energy passing each
second through unit area is called the
v=λν
intensity of sound. We sometimes use the
or v=λν ter ms “loudness” and “intensity”
That is, speed = wavelength × frequency. interchangeably, but they are not the same.
The speed of sound remains almost the Loudness is a measure of the response of the
same for all frequencies in a given medium ear to the sound. Even when two sounds are
under the same physical conditions. of equal intensity, we may hear one as louder
than the other simply because our ear detects
it better.
Example 12.1 A sound wave has a
frequency of 2 kHz and wave length
uestion

Q
35 cm. How long will it take to travel
1.5 km? 1. Distinguish between loudness
and intensity of sound.
Solution:
Given,
Frequency, ν = 2 kHz = 2000 Hz
Wavelength, λ = 35 cm = 0.35 m
12.2.4 SPEED OF SOUND IN DIFFERENT

We know that speed, v of the wave MEDIA

= wavelength × frequency Sound propagates through a medium at a
v =λν finite speed. The sound of a thunder is heard
= 0.35 m × 2000 Hz = 700 m/s a little later than the flash of light is seen.

166 SCIENCE
So, we can make out that sound travels with
Sonic boom: When the speed of any object
a speed which is much less than the speed of
exceeds the speed of sound it is said to be
light. The speed of sound depends on the
travelling at supersonic speed. Bullets, jet
properties of the medium through which it
aircrafts etc. often travel at supersonic
travels. You will learn about this dependence speeds. When a sound, producing source
in higher classes. The speed of sound in a moves with a speed higher than that of
medium depends on temperature of the sound, it produces shock waves in air.
medium. The speed of sound decreases when These shock waves carry a large amount
we go from solid to gaseous state. In any of energy. The air pressure variation
medium as we increase the temperature, the associated with this type of shock waves
speed of sound increases. For example, the produces a very sharp and loud sound
speed of sound in air is 331 m s–1 at 0 ºC and called the “sonic boom”. The shock waves
344 m s–1 at 22 ºC. The speeds of sound at a produced by a supersonic aircraft have
particular temperature in various media are enough energy to shatter window glass and
listed in Table 12.1. You need not memorise even damage buildings.
the values.

12.3 Reflection of Sound

Table 12.1: Speed of sound in Sound bounces off a solid or a liquid like a
different media at 25 ºC rubber ball bounces off a wall. Like light, sound
gets reflected at the surface of a solid or liquid
State Substance Speed in m/s and follows the same laws of reflection as you
Solids Aluminium 6420 have studied in earlier classes. The directions
in which the sound is incident and is reflected
Nickel 6040 make equal angles with the normal to the
Steel 5960 reflecting surface at the point of incidence, and
Iron 5950 the three are in the same plane. An obstacle of
large size which may be polished or rough is
Brass 4700
needed for the reflection of sound waves.
Glass (Flint) 3980
Liquids Water (Sea) 1531
Activity _____________ 12.5
Water (distilled) 1498 • Take two identical pipes, as shown in
Fig. 12.11. You can make the pipes
Ethanol 1207
using chart paper. The length of the
Methanol 1103 pipes should be sufficiently long
as shown.
Gases Hydrogen 1284 • Arrange them on a table near a wall.
Helium 965 • Keep a clock near the open end of one
of the pipes and try to hear the sound
Air 346
of the clock through the other pipe.
Oxygen 316 • Adjust the position of the pipes so
Sulphur dioxide 213 that you can best hear the sound of
the clock.
• Now, measure the angles of incidence
and reflection and see the

Q
uestion relationship between the angles.
• Lift the pipe on the right vertically
1. In which of the three media, air, to a small height and observe
water or iron, does sound travel what happens.
the fastest at a particular (In place of a clock, a mobile phone
temperature? on vibrating mode may also be used.)

SOUND 167
 excessive reverberation is highly undesirable.
To reduce reverberation, the roof and walls of
the auditorium are generally covered with
sound-absorbent materials like compressed
fibreboard, rough plaster or draperies. The
seat materials are also selected on the basis
of their sound absorbing properties.

Example 12.2 A person clapped his hands

near a cliff and heard the echo after 2 s.
Fig. 12.11: Reflection of sound What is the distance of the cliff from the
person if the speed of the sound, v is
12.3.1 ECHO taken as 346 m s–1?
If we shout or clap near a suitable reflecting Solution:
object such as a tall building or a mountain,
we will hear the same sound again a little Given,
later. This sound which we hear is called an Speed of sound, v = 346 m s–1
echo. The sensation of sound persists in our Time taken for hearing the echo,
brain for about 0.1 s. To hear a distinct echo t=2s
the time interval between the original sound Distance travelled by the sound
and the reflected one must be at least 0.1s. = v × t = 346 m s–1 × 2 s = 692 m
If we take the speed of sound to be 344 m/s In 2 s sound has to travel twice the
at a given temperature, say at 22 ºC in air, distance between the cliff and the
the sound must go to the obstacle and reach person. Hence, the distance between
back the ear of the listener on reflection after
the cliff and the person
0.1s. Hence, the total distance covered by the
= 692 m/2 = 346 m.
sound from the point of generation to the
reflecting surface and back should be at least
(344 m/s) × 0.1 s = 34.4 m. Thus, for hearing

Q
distinct echoes, the minimum distance of the uestion
obstacle from the source of sound must be
1. An echo is heard in 3 s. What is
half of this distance, that is, 17.2 m. This
the distance of the reflecting
distance will change with the temperature of
surface from the source, given
air. Echoes may be heard more than once
due to successive or multiple reflections. The that the speed of sound is
rolling of thunder is due to the successive 342 m s–1?
reflections of the sound from a number of
reflecting surfaces, such as the clouds and
the land. 12.3.3 USES OF MULTIPLE REFLECTION
OF SOUND
12.3.2 REVERBERATION
A sound created in a big hall will persist by 1. Megaphones or loudhailers, horns,
repeated reflection from the walls until it is musical instruments such as trumpets
reduced to a value where it is no longer and shehanais, are all designed to
audible. The repeated reflection that results send sound in a particular direction
in this persistence of sound is called without spreading it in all directions,
reverberation. In an auditorium or big hall as shown in Fig 12.12.

168 SCIENCE
 soundboard may be placed behind the
stage so that the sound, after reflecting
from the sound board, spreads evenly
across the width of the hall (Fig 12.15).

Megaphone

Horn

Fig 12.12: A megaphone and a horn. Fig. 12.14: Curved ceiling of a conference hall.

In these instruments, a tube followed

by a conical opening reflects sound
successively to guide most of the sound
waves from the source in the forward
direction towards the audience.
2. Stethoscope is a medical instrument
used for listening to sounds produced
within the body, mainly in the heart or
lungs. In stethoscopes the sound of the
patient’s heartbeat reaches the doctor’s
ears by multiple reflection of sound, as
shown in Fig.12.13.

Fig. 12.15: Sound board used in a big hall.

uestion

Fig.12.13: Stethoscope

3. Generally the ceilings of concert halls,

conference halls and cinema halls are
Q 1. Why are the ceilings of concert
halls curved?

12.4 Range of Hearing

curved so that sound after reflection The audible range of sound for human beings
reaches all corners of the hall, as shown extends from about 20 Hz to 20000 Hz (one
in Fig 12.14. Sometimes a curved Hz = one cycle/s). Children under the age of

SOUND 169
five and some animals, such as dogs can hear 12.5 Applications of Ultrasound
up to 25 kHz (1 kHz = 1000 Hz). As people
grow older their ears become less sensitive to Ultrasounds are high frequency waves.
higher frequencies. Sounds of frequencies Ultrasounds are able to travel along well-
below 20 Hz are called infrasonic sound or defined paths even in the presence of
infrasound. If we could hear infrasound we obstacles. Ultrasounds are used extensively
would hear the vibrations of a pendulum just in industries and for medical purposes.
as we hear the vibrations of the wings of a • Ultrasound is generally used to clean
bee. Rhinoceroses communicate using parts located in hard-to-reach places,
infrasound of frequency as low as 5 Hz. for example, spiral tube, odd shaped
Whales and elephants produce sound in the parts, electronic components etc.
infrasound range. It is observed that some Objects to be cleaned are placed in a
animals get disturbed before earthquakes. cleaning solution and ultrasonic
Earthquakes produce low-frequency waves are sent into the solution. Due
infrasound before the main shock waves to the high frequency, the particles of
begin which possibly alert the animals. dust, grease and dirt get detached and
Frequencies higher than 20 kHz are called drop out. The objects thus get
ultrasonic sound or ultrasound. Ultrasound thoroughly cleaned.
is produced by animals such as dolphins, • Ultrasounds can be used to detect
bats and porpoises. Moths of certain families cracks and flaws in metal blocks.
have very sensitive hearing equipment. These Metallic components are generally
moths can hear the high frequency squeaks used in construction of big structures
of the bat and know when a bat is flying like buildings, bridges, machines and
nearby, and are able to escape capture. Rats
also scientific equipment. The cracks
also play games by producing ultrasound.
or holes inside the metal blocks, which
are invisible from outside reduces the
strength of the structure. Ultrasonic
Hearing Aid: People with hearing loss may
need a hearing aid. A hearing aid is an waves are allowed to pass through the
electronic, battery operated device. The metal block and detectors are used to
hearing aid receives sound through a detect the transmitted waves. If there
microphone. The microphone converts the is even a small defect, the ultrasound
sound waves to electrical signals. These gets reflected back indicating the
electrical signals are amplified by an presence of the flaw or defect, as shown
amplifier. The amplified electrical signals in Fig. 12.16.
are given to a speaker of the hearing aid.
The speaker converts the amplified
electrical signal to sound and sends to the
ear for clear hearing.

uestions

Q
1. What is the audible range of the
average human ear?
2. What is the range of frequencies
associated with
(a) Infrasound?
(b) Ultrasound? Fig 12.16: Ultrasound is reflected back from the
defective locations inside a metal block.

170 SCIENCE
 Ordinary sound of longer wavelengths
cannot be used for such purpose as it will
bend around the corners of the defective
location and enter the detector.
• Ultrasonic waves are made to reflect
from various parts of the heart and
form the image of the heart. This tech-
nique is called ‘echocardiography’.
• Ultrasound scanner is an instrument
which uses ultrasonic waves for
getting images of internal organs of
the human body. A doctor may image
the patient’s organs such as the liver,
gall bladder, uterus, kidney, etc. It Fig.12.17: Ultrasound sent by the transmitter and
helps the doctor to detect received by the detector.
abnormalities, such as stones in the
gall bladder and kidney or tumours The transmitter produces and transmits
in different organs. In this technique ultrasonic waves. These waves travel through
the ultrasonic waves travel through water and after striking the object on the
the tissues of the body and get seabed, get reflected back and are sensed
reflected from a region where there is by the detector. The detector converts the
a change of tissue density. These ultrasonic waves into electrical signals which
are appropriately interpreted. The distance
waves are then converted into
of the object that reflected the sound wave
electrical signals that are used to can be calculated by knowing the speed of
generate images of the organ. These sound in water and the time interval between
images are then displayed on a transmission and reception of the
monitor or printed on a film. This ultrasound. Let the time interval between
technique is called ‘ultrasonography’. transmission and reception of ultrasound
Ultrasonography is also used for signal be t and the speed of sound through
examination of the foetus during seawater be v. The total distance, 2d travelled
pregnancy to detect congenial defects by the ultrasound is then, 2d = v × t.
and growth abnormalities. The above method is called echo-ranging.
The sonar technique is used to determine the
• Ultrasound may be employed to break
depth of the sea and to locate underwater
small ‘stones’ formed in the kidneys hills, valleys, submarine, icebergs, sunken
into fine grains. These grains later get ship etc.
flushed out with urine.
Example 12.3 A ship sends out ultrasound
12.5.1SONAR that returns from the seabed and is
The acronym SONAR stands for SOund detected after 3.42 s. If the speed of
ultrasound through seawater is
Navigation And Ranging. Sonar is a device
1531 m/s, what is the distance of the
that uses ultrasonic waves to measure the
seabed from the ship?
distance, direction and speed of underwater
objects. How does the sonar work? Sonar Solution:
consists of a transmitter and a detector and is Given,
installed in a boat or a ship, as shown in Fig. T ime between transmission and
12.17. detection, t = 3.42 s.

SOUND 171
 Speed of ultrasound in sea water, 12.6 Structure of Human Ear
v = 1531 m/s
Distance travelled by the ultrasound How do we hear? We are able to hear with
= 2 × depth of the sea = 2d the help of an extremely sensitive device
where d is the depth of the sea. called the ear. It allows us to convert pressure
2d = speed of sound × time variations in air with audible frequencies into
= 1531 m/s × 3.42 s = 5236 m electric signals that travel to the brain via the
d = 5236 m/2 = 2618 m. auditory nerve. The auditory aspect of human
Thus, the distance of the seabed from ear is discussed below.
the ship is 2618 m or 2.62 km.

Q
uestion
1. A submarine emits a sonar pulse,
which returns from an
underwater cliff in 1.02 s. If the
speed of sound in salt water is
1531 m/s, how far away is the
cliff?

As mentioned earlier, bats search out prey

and fly in dark night by emitting and
detecting reflections of ultrasonic waves. The
high-pitched ultrasonic squeaks of the bat
are reflected from the obstacles or prey and
returned to bat’s ear, as shown in Fig. 12.18. Fig. 12.19: Auditory parts of human ear.
The nature of reflections tells the bat where
the obstacle or prey is and what it is like. The outer ear is called ‘pinna’. It collects
Porpoises also use ultrasound for navigation the sound from the surroundings. The
and location of food in the dark. collected sound passes through the auditory
canal. At the end of the auditory canal there
is a thin membrane called the ear drum or
tympanic membrane. When a compression
of the medium reaches the eardrum the
pressure on the outside of the membrane
increases and forces the eardrum inward.
Similarly, the eardrum moves outward when
a rarefaction reaches it. In this way the
eardrum vibrates. The vibrations are
amplified several times by three bones (the
hammer, anvil and stirrup) in the middle ear.
The middle ear transmits the amplified
pressure variations received from the sound
wave to the inner ear. In the inner ear, the
pressure variations are turned into electrical
signals by the cochlea. These electrical signals
Fig. 12.18: Ultrasound is emitted by a bat and it is are sent to the brain via the auditory nerve,
reflected back by the prey or an obstacle. and the brain interprets them as sound.

172 SCIENCE
 What
you have
learnt
• Sound is produced due to vibration of different objects.
• Sound travels as a longitudinal wave through a material
medium.
• Sound travels as successive compressions and rarefactions in
the medium.
• In sound propagation, it is the energy of the sound that travels
and not the particles of the medium.
• Sound cannot travel in vacuum.
• The change in density from one maximum value to the
minimum value and again to the maximum value makes one
complete oscillation.
• The distance between two consecutive compressions or two
consecutive rarefactions is called the wavelength, λ.
• The time taken by the wave for one complete oscillation of the
density or pressure of the medium is called the time period, T.
• The number of complete oscillations per unit time is called the
1
frequency (ν), ν = .
T
• The speed v, frequency ν, and wavelength λ, of sound are related
by the equation, v = λν.
• The speed of sound depends primarily on the nature and the
temperature of the transmitting medium.
• The law of reflection of sound states that the directions in which
the sound is incident and reflected make equal angles with
the normal to the reflecting surface at the point of incidence
and the three lie in the same plane.
• For hearing a distinct sound, the time interval between the
original sound and the reflected one must be at least 0.1 s.
• The persistence of sound in an auditorium is the result of
repeated reflections of sound and is called reverberation.
• Sound properties such as pitch, loudness and quality are
determined by the corresponding wave properties.
• Loudness is a physiological response of the ear to the
intensity of sound.
• The amount of sound energy passing each second through
unit area is called the intensity of sound.
• The audible range of hearing for average human beings is
in the frequency range of 20 Hz – 20 kHz.

SOUND 173
 • Sound waves with frequencies below the audible range are
termed “infrasonic” and those above the audible range are
termed “ultrasonic”.
• Ultrasound has many medical and industrial applications.
• The SONAR technique is used to determine the depth of the
sea and to locate under water hills, valleys, submarines,
icebergs, sunken ships etc.

Exercises
1. What is sound and how is it produced?
2. Describe with the help of a diagram, how compressions and
rarefactions are produced in air near a source of sound.
3. Cite an experiment to show that sound needs a material
medium for its propagation.
4. Why is sound wave called a longitudinal wave?
5. Which characteristic of the sound helps you to identify your
friend by his voice while sitting with others in a dark room?
6. Flash and thunder are produced simultaneously. But thunder
is heard a few seconds after the flash is seen, why?
7. A person has a hearing range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. What are
the typical wavelengths of sound waves in air corresponding
to these two frequencies? Take the speed of sound in air as
344 m s–1.
8. Two children are at opposite ends of an aluminium rod. One
strikes the end of the rod with a stone. Find the ratio of times
taken by the sound wave in air and in aluminium to reach the
second child.
9. The frequency of a source of sound is 100 Hz. How many times
does it vibrate in a minute?
10. Does sound follow the same laws of reflection as light does?
Explain.
11. When a sound is reflected from a distant object, an echo is
produced. Let the distance between the reflecting surface and
the source of sound production remains the same. Do you
hear echo sound on a hotter day?
12. Give two practical applications of reflection of sound waves.
13. A stone is dropped from the top of a tower 500 m high into a
pond of water at the base of the tower. When is the splash
heard at the top? Given, g = 10 m s–2 and speed of sound =
340 m s–1.
14. A sound wave travels at a speed of 339 m s –1 . If its
wavelength is 1.5 cm, what is the frequency of the wave?
Will it be audible?
174 SCIENCE
 15. What is reverberation? How can it be reduced?
16. What is loudness of sound? What factors does it depend on?
17. Explain how bats use ultrasound to catch a prey.
18. How is ultrasound used for cleaning?
19. Explain the working and application of a sonar.
20. A sonar device on a submarine sends out a signal and receives
an echo 5 s later. Calculate the speed of sound in water if the
distance of the object from the submarine is 3625 m.
21. Explain how defects in a metal block can be detected using
ultrasound.
22. Explain how the human ear works.

SOUND 175