ScienceAges 7-9

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.

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What is the approximate frequency range of normal human hearing in young people: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, or 1 Hz to 5 Hz?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
2. 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)
3. Why are cinema walls and recording studios lined with soft foam, curtains and carpets: soft, porous materials absorb sound waves to prevent echoes, or soft foam makes sounds louder?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
4. 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)
5. 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)
6. How are all sounds produced: by objects vibrating back and forth, or by objects standing completely still?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
7. 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)
8. Can sound travel through empty outer space (a vacuum where there are no particles): No, because sound needs a medium of particles to vibrate, or Yes, faster than light?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
9. 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)
10. Why does a sound become quieter the further away you move from the source: the sound energy spreads out over a larger and larger sphere of air, or the pitch drops to zero?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
11. 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)
12. What word describes how loud or quiet a sound is: volume (loudness) or pitch?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)

12 questions · Seed 44 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What is the approximate frequency range of normal human hearing in young people: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, or 1 Hz to 5 Hz?
20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Humans typically hear frequencies from about 20 Hz (deep bass) up to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz).
2. 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.
3. Why are cinema walls and recording studios lined with soft foam, curtains and carpets: soft, porous materials absorb sound waves to prevent echoes, or soft foam makes sounds louder?
Soft, porous materials absorb sound waves to prevent echoes
Soft materials trap air and convert sound energy into tiny amounts of heat, reducing reverberation.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. How are all sounds produced: by objects vibrating back and forth, or by objects standing completely still?
By objects vibrating back and forth
Every sound source—such as a plucked guitar string, a drum skin or your vocal cords—vibrates.
7. 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.
8. Can sound travel through empty outer space (a vacuum where there are no particles): No, because sound needs a medium of particles to vibrate, or Yes, faster than light?
No, because sound needs a medium of particles to vibrate
Unlike light, sound is a mechanical wave and cannot travel through a vacuum.
9. 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.
10. Why does a sound become quieter the further away you move from the source: the sound energy spreads out over a larger and larger sphere of air, or the pitch drops to zero?
The sound energy spreads out over a larger and larger sphere of air
As distance from the source increases, the wave energy is spread over a bigger area, so amplitude decreases.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 44 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What is the approximate frequency range of normal human hearing in young people: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, or 1 Hz to 5 Hz?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
2. 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)
3. Why are cinema walls and recording studios lined with soft foam, curtains and carpets: soft, porous materials absorb sound waves to prevent echoes, or soft foam makes sounds louder?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
4. 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)
5. 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)
6. How are all sounds produced: by objects vibrating back and forth, or by objects standing completely still?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
7. 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)
8. Can sound travel through empty outer space (a vacuum where there are no particles): No, because sound needs a medium of particles to vibrate, or Yes, faster than light?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
9. 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)
10. Why does a sound become quieter the further away you move from the source: the sound energy spreads out over a larger and larger sphere of air, or the pitch drops to zero?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)
11. 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)
12. What word describes how loud or quiet a sound is: volume (loudness) or pitch?
Amplitude (Loudness) · Frequency (Pitch)

12 questions · Seed 44 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Sound, pitch & vibrations

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What is the approximate frequency range of normal human hearing in young people: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, or 1 Hz to 5 Hz?
20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Humans typically hear frequencies from about 20 Hz (deep bass) up to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz).
2. 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.
3. Why are cinema walls and recording studios lined with soft foam, curtains and carpets: soft, porous materials absorb sound waves to prevent echoes, or soft foam makes sounds louder?
Soft, porous materials absorb sound waves to prevent echoes
Soft materials trap air and convert sound energy into tiny amounts of heat, reducing reverberation.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. How are all sounds produced: by objects vibrating back and forth, or by objects standing completely still?
By objects vibrating back and forth
Every sound source—such as a plucked guitar string, a drum skin or your vocal cords—vibrates.
7. 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.
8. Can sound travel through empty outer space (a vacuum where there are no particles): No, because sound needs a medium of particles to vibrate, or Yes, faster than light?
No, because sound needs a medium of particles to vibrate
Unlike light, sound is a mechanical wave and cannot travel through a vacuum.
9. 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.
10. Why does a sound become quieter the further away you move from the source: the sound energy spreads out over a larger and larger sphere of air, or the pitch drops to zero?
The sound energy spreads out over a larger and larger sphere of air
As distance from the source increases, the wave energy is spread over a bigger area, so amplitude decreases.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 44 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification