ScienceAges 4-6

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Explore how vibrations produce sound waves, how pitch and volume change, and how sound travels through media. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

New variation Try interactive challenge Browse templates

Age band:Ages 4-6 Ages 7-9

Choose “Save as PDF” to keep a copy. Use your browser’s paper setting for A4 or Letter.

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What unit is used on a sound-level meter to measure the loudness (intensity level) of a sound: decibels (dB) or degrees Celsius (°C)?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
2. If you gently touch a ringing tuning fork against the surface of a bowl of water, why does the water splash: the tuning fork is vibrating rapidly, or the tuning fork is hot?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
3. How do bats and dolphins use echolocation (sonar) to find prey in the dark or deep water: they emit high-pitched clicks and time how long the echoes take to bounce back, or they use magnets?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
4. When you pluck a stretched rubber band or guitar string, what do you see and hear: the string vibrates rapidly and makes a sound, or the string turns into liquid?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
5. What do we call high-frequency sound waves above 20,000 Hz that humans cannot hear, used by dolphins, bats and medical scanners: ultrasound or infrared?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
6. What is an echo: a sound wave that bounces (reflects) off a hard surface like a cliff or wall and returns to your ears, or a brand-new sound made by the rocks?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
7. What word describes how loud or quiet a sound is: volume (loudness) or pitch?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
8. What word describes how high or low a musical note sounds (such as a high whistle vs a low bass drum): pitch or volume?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
9. When a guitarist tightens a guitar string to increase its tension, what happens to the pitch of the note: the pitch becomes higher, or the string stops vibrating?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
10. Why do ramp workers near jet engines and operators of loud machinery wear ear defenders (earmuffs): very loud sounds can permanently damage the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea), or to keep their ears warm?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
11. If you hit a drum harder so the drum skin vibrates with a larger amplitude, what happens to the sound: the sound gets louder (higher volume), or the pitch changes into a flute?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
12. What unit is used in science to measure the frequency of a sound wave (the number of vibrations per second): hertz (Hz) or newtons (N)?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)

12 questions · Seed 53 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What unit is used on a sound-level meter to measure the loudness (intensity level) of a sound: decibels (dB) or degrees Celsius (°C)?
Decibels (dB)
Sound intensity levels are measured on the decibel (dB) scale.
2. If you gently touch a ringing tuning fork against the surface of a bowl of water, why does the water splash: the tuning fork is vibrating rapidly, or the tuning fork is hot?
The tuning fork is vibrating rapidly
The mechanical vibrations of the prongs transfer energy to the water, creating ripples and splashes.
3. How do bats and dolphins use echolocation (sonar) to find prey in the dark or deep water: they emit high-pitched clicks and time how long the echoes take to bounce back, or they use magnets?
They emit high-pitched clicks and time how long the echoes take to bounce back
The time delay and direction of returning echoes reveal the distance and location of objects.
4. When you pluck a stretched rubber band or guitar string, what do you see and hear: the string vibrates rapidly and makes a sound, or the string turns into liquid?
The string vibrates rapidly and makes a sound
Stopping the vibration of the string immediately stops the sound.
5. What do we call high-frequency sound waves above 20,000 Hz that humans cannot hear, used by dolphins, bats and medical scanners: ultrasound or infrared?
Ultrasound
Ultrasound has a frequency above the upper limit of human hearing (> 20 kHz).
6. What is an echo: a sound wave that bounces (reflects) off a hard surface like a cliff or wall and returns to your ears, or a brand-new sound made by the rocks?
A sound wave that bounces (reflects) off a hard surface like a cliff or wall and returns to your ears
An echo is a reflected sound wave heard a short time after the original sound.
7. What word describes how loud or quiet a sound is: volume (loudness) or pitch?
Volume (loudness)
Volume depends on the amplitude (size) of the vibrations.
8. What word describes how high or low a musical note sounds (such as a high whistle vs a low bass drum): pitch or volume?
Pitch
Pitch is how high or low a sound is and depends on the frequency of vibration.
9. When a guitarist tightens a guitar string to increase its tension, what happens to the pitch of the note: the pitch becomes higher, or the string stops vibrating?
The pitch becomes higher
A tighter string vibrates faster when plucked, raising the pitch.
10. Why do ramp workers near jet engines and operators of loud machinery wear ear defenders (earmuffs): very loud sounds can permanently damage the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea), or to keep their ears warm?
Very loud sounds can permanently damage the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea)
Padded ear defenders absorb sound energy and reduce the decibel level reaching the eardrum.
11. If you hit a drum harder so the drum skin vibrates with a larger amplitude, what happens to the sound: the sound gets louder (higher volume), or the pitch changes into a flute?
The sound gets louder (higher volume)
Larger amplitude vibrations carry more energy and produce a louder sound.
12. What unit is used in science to measure the frequency of a sound wave (the number of vibrations per second): hertz (Hz) or newtons (N)?
Hertz (Hz)
1 hertz (1 Hz) equals 1 complete vibration (cycle) per second.

12 questions · Seed 53 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What unit is used on a sound-level meter to measure the loudness (intensity level) of a sound: decibels (dB) or degrees Celsius (°C)?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
2. If you gently touch a ringing tuning fork against the surface of a bowl of water, why does the water splash: the tuning fork is vibrating rapidly, or the tuning fork is hot?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
3. How do bats and dolphins use echolocation (sonar) to find prey in the dark or deep water: they emit high-pitched clicks and time how long the echoes take to bounce back, or they use magnets?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
4. When you pluck a stretched rubber band or guitar string, what do you see and hear: the string vibrates rapidly and makes a sound, or the string turns into liquid?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
5. What do we call high-frequency sound waves above 20,000 Hz that humans cannot hear, used by dolphins, bats and medical scanners: ultrasound or infrared?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
6. What is an echo: a sound wave that bounces (reflects) off a hard surface like a cliff or wall and returns to your ears, or a brand-new sound made by the rocks?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
7. What word describes how loud or quiet a sound is: volume (loudness) or pitch?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
8. What word describes how high or low a musical note sounds (such as a high whistle vs a low bass drum): pitch or volume?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
9. When a guitarist tightens a guitar string to increase its tension, what happens to the pitch of the note: the pitch becomes higher, or the string stops vibrating?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
10. Why do ramp workers near jet engines and operators of loud machinery wear ear defenders (earmuffs): very loud sounds can permanently damage the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea), or to keep their ears warm?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
11. If you hit a drum harder so the drum skin vibrates with a larger amplitude, what happens to the sound: the sound gets louder (higher volume), or the pitch changes into a flute?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
12. What unit is used in science to measure the frequency of a sound wave (the number of vibrations per second): hertz (Hz) or newtons (N)?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)

12 questions · Seed 53 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What unit is used on a sound-level meter to measure the loudness (intensity level) of a sound: decibels (dB) or degrees Celsius (°C)?
Decibels (dB)
Sound intensity levels are measured on the decibel (dB) scale.
2. If you gently touch a ringing tuning fork against the surface of a bowl of water, why does the water splash: the tuning fork is vibrating rapidly, or the tuning fork is hot?
The tuning fork is vibrating rapidly
The mechanical vibrations of the prongs transfer energy to the water, creating ripples and splashes.
3. How do bats and dolphins use echolocation (sonar) to find prey in the dark or deep water: they emit high-pitched clicks and time how long the echoes take to bounce back, or they use magnets?
They emit high-pitched clicks and time how long the echoes take to bounce back
The time delay and direction of returning echoes reveal the distance and location of objects.
4. When you pluck a stretched rubber band or guitar string, what do you see and hear: the string vibrates rapidly and makes a sound, or the string turns into liquid?
The string vibrates rapidly and makes a sound
Stopping the vibration of the string immediately stops the sound.
5. What do we call high-frequency sound waves above 20,000 Hz that humans cannot hear, used by dolphins, bats and medical scanners: ultrasound or infrared?
Ultrasound
Ultrasound has a frequency above the upper limit of human hearing (> 20 kHz).
6. What is an echo: a sound wave that bounces (reflects) off a hard surface like a cliff or wall and returns to your ears, or a brand-new sound made by the rocks?
A sound wave that bounces (reflects) off a hard surface like a cliff or wall and returns to your ears
An echo is a reflected sound wave heard a short time after the original sound.
7. What word describes how loud or quiet a sound is: volume (loudness) or pitch?
Volume (loudness)
Volume depends on the amplitude (size) of the vibrations.
8. What word describes how high or low a musical note sounds (such as a high whistle vs a low bass drum): pitch or volume?
Pitch
Pitch is how high or low a sound is and depends on the frequency of vibration.
9. When a guitarist tightens a guitar string to increase its tension, what happens to the pitch of the note: the pitch becomes higher, or the string stops vibrating?
The pitch becomes higher
A tighter string vibrates faster when plucked, raising the pitch.
10. Why do ramp workers near jet engines and operators of loud machinery wear ear defenders (earmuffs): very loud sounds can permanently damage the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea), or to keep their ears warm?
Very loud sounds can permanently damage the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea)
Padded ear defenders absorb sound energy and reduce the decibel level reaching the eardrum.
11. If you hit a drum harder so the drum skin vibrates with a larger amplitude, what happens to the sound: the sound gets louder (higher volume), or the pitch changes into a flute?
The sound gets louder (higher volume)
Larger amplitude vibrations carry more energy and produce a louder sound.
12. What unit is used in science to measure the frequency of a sound wave (the number of vibrations per second): hertz (Hz) or newtons (N)?
Hertz (Hz)
1 hertz (1 Hz) equals 1 complete vibration (cycle) per second.

12 questions · Seed 53 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification