Name:______________________________Class:__________________ Date:__________________

Assessment

Sound
Teacher Notes and Answers
12 Sound
SOUND WAVES
1. b moves in the opposite direction, the air
2. a molecules spread apart, forming a
3. c rarefaction. As the object continues to
4. a vibrate, a series of compressions and
5. c rarefactions travel through the air, creating a
6. d sound wave.
7. a 10. Wave 1. The waves are traveling at the same
8. b speed if they are in the same medium.
9. As the object moves in one direction, it Therefore, the wave with the shorter
pushes against the air in that direction, wavelength (Wave 1) is created by the
forming a compression by squeezing the higher frequency.
molecules closer together. As the object

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Holt Physics 1 Section Quizzes
Name:______________________________Class:__________________ Date:__________________

Assessment

Sound
Section Quiz: Sound Waves
Write the letter of the correct answer in the space provided.

_____ 1. A sound wave is an example of a(n) ______________ wave.

a. transverse
b. longitudinal
c. crest-and-trough
d. electromagnetic
_____ 2. A sound wave consists of a series of
a. compressions and rarefactions.
b. longitudes and latitudes.
c. hills and valleys.
d. perpendicular vibrations
_____ 3. The human perception of pitch depends on a sound’s
a. velocity.
b. wavelength.
c. frequency.
d. amplitude.
_____ 4. Sound generally travels faster through solids than through gases
because the particles (atoms or molecules) of a solid are
_______________ than the particles of a gas.
a. closer together
b. heavier
c. warmer
d. larger
_____ 5. Sound waves from a vibrating source travel
a. in one direction.
b. in two directions.
c. in all directions.
d. back and forth.
_____ 6. Spherical wave fronts can be treated as parallel lines when
a. they are very near the source.
b. the frequency is very high.
c. the wavelength is very large.
d. they are a large distance from the source.

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Holt Physics 2 Section Quizzes
Name:______________________________Class:__________________ Date:__________________

Sound continued

_____ 7. When you hear the sound from a vehicle that is moving toward you, the
pitch is higher than it would be if the vehicle were stationary. The pitch
sounds higher because the
a. sound waves arrive more frequently.
b. sound from the approaching vehicle travels faster.
c. wavelength of the sound waves becomes greater.
d. amplitude of the sound waves increases.
_____ 8. Suppose you are on a moving bus as it passes a stationary car in which
a stereo is playing music. As the bus goes past the car, you will hear the
pitch of the music
a. become higher.
b. become lower.
c. remain constant.
d. become lower, then higher.
9. Describe how a sound wave is created by an object vibrating in air. Use the
words compression and rarefaction correctly in your explanation.
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10. The diagrams above represent sound waves created by two different vibrating
objects. Assuming that both waves are traveling through the same medium,
which wave is produced by the object vibrating at the higher frequency?
Explain your choice.
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Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Physics 3 Section Quizzes