Chapter 13: Sound
Solved textbook questions with step-by-step explanations.
Grade 6 Q&A: Chapter 13: Sound
Welcome to the Questions and Answers section for Grade 5 Environmental Studies (Part One), Chapter 13: "Sound." This chapter explores the fascinating world of sound, how it is produced, how it travels, and its various characteristics. We will learn about vibrations, loud and soft sounds, high and low pitch, noise, and the important topic of sound pollution and its effects on our health and environment.
Important Questions and Answers
Q1: What is sound?
Answer: Sound is a form of energy that we can hear. It is produced when something vibrates.
Q2: How is sound produced?
Answer: Sound is produced by vibrations. When an object vibrates, it causes the air or other surrounding medium to vibrate, which then travels to our ears as sound.
Q3: What is vibration?
Answer: Vibration is a rapid back-and-forth or up-and-down movement of an object.
Q4: Give an example of how sound is produced by vibration.
Answer: When you pluck a stretched rubber band, it vibrates rapidly and produces sound. Similarly, when you hit a drum, its membrane vibrates and produces sound.
Q5: How does sound travel?
Answer: Sound travels through a medium, such as air, water, or solids. The vibrations from the source are passed on from one particle to another in the medium until they reach our ears.
Q6: Can sound travel in a vacuum? Why or why not?
Answer: No, sound cannot travel in a vacuum because there are no particles in a vacuum to vibrate and carry the sound waves.
Q7: Give an example of sound traveling through air.
Answer: When someone speaks, the sound of their voice travels through the air to our ears.
Q8: Give an example of sound traveling through water.
Answer: When you clap your hands underwater, you can hear the sound, indicating that sound travels through water.
Q9: Give an example of sound traveling through a solid.
Answer: If you put your ear to a wooden table and someone taps on the other end, you can hear the sound, showing that sound travels through solids.
Q10: What is a loud sound?
Answer: A loud sound is produced by a large or strong vibration. It has a greater amplitude.
Q11: What is a soft sound?
Answer: A soft sound is produced by a small or weak vibration. It has a smaller amplitude.
Q12: What is the pitch of a sound?
Answer: The pitch of a sound refers to how high or low a sound is. It depends on the frequency of the vibrations.
Q13: What determines the pitch of a sound?
Answer: The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency of vibrations. Faster vibrations produce a high-pitched sound, while slower vibrations produce a low-pitched sound.
Q14: Give an example of a high-pitched sound.
Answer: The sound of a whistle, a baby's cry, or a mosquito's buzz are examples of high-pitched sounds.
Q15: Give an example of a low-pitched sound.
Answer: The roar of a lion, the sound of a drum, or a man's voice are examples of low-pitched sounds.
Q16: What is noise?
Answer: Noise is an unpleasant or unwanted sound produced by irregular or disorderly vibrations.
Q17: What are pleasant sounds?
Answer: Pleasant sounds are those that are harmonious and pleasing to our ears, often produced by regular vibrations, like music.
Q18: What is sound pollution?
Answer: Sound pollution is the presence of excessive or unwanted sound in the environment that can have harmful effects on humans and animals.
Q19: List some sources of sound pollution.
Answer: Sources of sound pollution include loud music, vehicle horns, construction work, industrial machinery, and loudspeakers.
Q20: What are the harmful effects of sound pollution on humans?
Answer: Sound pollution can cause headaches, difficulty sleeping, irritation, high blood pressure, and even hearing loss over time.
Q21: How does sound pollution affect animals?
Answer: Sound pollution can disturb animals, affecting their communication, migration patterns, and overall well-being.
Q22: What measures can be taken to reduce sound pollution?
Answer: Measures to reduce sound pollution include avoiding unnecessary honking, playing music at a low volume, using quieter machinery, planting more trees (as they absorb sound), and observing silence zones.
Q23: Why is it important to keep the volume of television or radio low?
Answer: Keeping the volume low helps prevent sound pollution, protects our ears from damage, and avoids disturbing others.
Q24: How do musical instruments produce sound?
Answer: Musical instruments produce sound through vibrations. For example, a guitar produces sound by vibrating strings, and a flute by vibrating air columns.
Q25: Why should we avoid shouting or yelling unnecessarily?
Answer: Shouting or yelling unnecessarily creates loud sounds that can contribute to noise pollution and be irritating to others around us.
Q26: What is the main difference between pleasant sounds and noise?
Answer: Pleasant sounds are usually produced by regular and rhythmic vibrations, making them enjoyable, while noise is produced by irregular and non-rhythmic vibrations, making it unpleasant.
Q27: Why should we avoid bursting firecrackers in residential areas?
Answer: Bursting firecrackers produces very loud and sudden noises, which cause significant sound pollution, disturb residents, and can be harmful to people and animals.
Exercise Solutions
Q1: Fill in the blanks.
- Sound is produced by vibrations.
- Sound travels through a medium.
- Loud sounds have a greater amplitude.
- The pitch of a sound depends on its frequency.
- Irregular vibrations produce noise.
Q2: True or False.
- Sound can travel in a vacuum. False
- A drum produces sound by the vibration of its membrane. True
- All sounds are pleasant to hear. False
- Sound pollution can cause headaches. True
- A whistle produces a low-pitched sound. False (Whistles typically produce high-pitched sounds)
Q3: Answer the following questions.
- How is sound produced?
Answer: Sound is produced by vibrations. When an object vibrates, it causes the particles of the surrounding medium (like air, water, or solids) to vibrate, and these vibrations travel as sound waves to our ears. - What is meant by sound pollution?
Answer: Sound pollution refers to the presence of excessive or unwanted noise in the environment that can have harmful effects on human health, animal life, and the overall quality of life. - Give two examples of loud sounds.
Answer: Two examples of loud sounds are the roar of a lion and the sound of a vehicle horn. - Give two examples of soft sounds.
Answer: Two examples of soft sounds are a whisper and the rustling of leaves. - What is the difference between loud and soft sounds?
Answer: Loud sounds are produced by strong vibrations and have a greater amplitude, while soft sounds are produced by weak vibrations and have a smaller amplitude. - What is the difference between high-pitched and low-pitched sounds?
Answer: High-pitched sounds are produced by fast vibrations (high frequency), like a whistle or a baby's cry. Low-pitched sounds are produced by slow vibrations (low frequency), like a lion's roar or a drum beat. - What measures can be taken to reduce sound pollution?
Answer: Measures to reduce sound pollution include:- Avoiding unnecessary honking of vehicle horns.
- Playing music and television at a low volume.
- Not bursting firecrackers in residential areas.
- Using quieter machinery and equipment.
- Planting more trees, as they help absorb sound.
Q4: Give reasons.
- We cannot hear the sound of a bell ringing in a vacuum.
Reason: Sound needs a medium (like air, water, or solids) to travel. A vacuum is an empty space with no particles. Since there are no particles to vibrate and carry the sound waves, the sound of a bell ringing cannot be heard in a vacuum. - A mosquito's buzz is high-pitched, while a lion's roar is low-pitched.
Reason: The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency of vibrations. A mosquito's wings vibrate very rapidly, producing a high-frequency, high-pitched buzzing sound. In contrast, a lion's vocal cords vibrate much slower, producing a low-frequency, low-pitched roar. - Loudspeakers should not be played at high volume near residential areas.
Reason: Playing loudspeakers at high volume near residential areas causes significant sound pollution. This can disturb residents, interfere with their sleep, studies, and daily activities, and also lead to health problems like headaches, irritation, and even hearing damage over time. It also affects animals and the general peace of the environment.
References
- Maharashtra State Board Environmental Studies (Part One) Standard Five Textbook (2015 Edition) - Chapter 13: Sound.
- Maharashtra State Board 5th Standard Environmental Studies Syllabus.
- Balbharati Environmental Studies Part 1 Textbook.