Sources and Properties of Sound: Definition With Examples

1) Which Property of Sound Determines Its Loudness?

• Amplitude is the property of sound that determines its loudness.
• It is the maximum limit of the vibration produced by an object.
• Higher the amplitude, the higher the loudness.

2) How Do Sound Waves Travel Through the Air?

• Air is made up of molecules which have space between them.
• Soundwaves, while travelling through air, strike these molecules to produce vibrations which are transferred to the adjacent molecules.
• This phenomenon allows sound waves to travel through the air gradually.
• This process is quick and is completed in fractions of a second.

3) Why Do Sound Waves Travel Faster in Water Than in the Air?

• The lesser the space between the atoms or molecules, the faster propagation of sound.
• The atoms in water are comparatively closer than the atoms in the air. Hence, sound travels faster in water.

4) 

• Categorise the Following Into Noise and Music—
• The Sound of Firecrackers.
• The Sound of a Guitar.
• The Sound of Television at High Volumes.
• The Sound of Water Coolers.
• The Sound of a Whistle.
• The Sound Produced by a Mouth Organ.

The sound which is loud and unpleasant is categorised as noise.

5) Why Is a Female Voice Shriller Than a Male Voice?

• Voice is produced from vocal cords that are located in our throat region.
• These vocal cords are thin flaps of cartilage.
• These flaps of cartilage are thinner in females than in males.
• A thinner object can vibrate faster than a thicker object and is able to produce a high-pitched sound.
• Thus, the sound made by a female is shriller than that of a male.