Sound
3.4What the syllabus asks of you
- Describe the production of sound by vibrating sources
- Describe the longitudinal nature of sound waves and describe compressions and rarefactions
- State the approximate range of frequencies audible to humans as 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz
- Explain why sound waves cannot travel in a vacuum and describe an experiment to demonstrate this
- Describe how changes in amplitude and frequency affect the loudness and pitch of sound waves
- Describe how different sound sources produce sound waves with different qualities (timbres), as shown by the shape of the traces on an oscilloscope
- Describe an echo as the reflection of sound waves
- Describe simple experiments to show the reflection of sound waves
- Describe a method involving a measurement of distance and time for determining the speed of sound in air
- Know that the speed of sound in air is approximately 330–350 m / s
- Know that, in general, sound travels faster in solids than in liquids and faster in liquids than in gases
- Define ultrasound as sound with a frequency higher than 20 kHz
- Describe the uses of ultrasound in cleaning, prenatal and other medical scanning, and in sonar (including calculation of depth or distance from time and wave speed)
Read the notes first
Chapter 3: Sound
Drill this topic
Every question on Sound, untimed, marked as you go.
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Choose the years and how many questions, then print it with the answers on separate pages.
63 questions
1May / June 2026 · Paper 11 · Q27Show mark scheme →
AA human can hear sounds of higher frequencies than a sheep can hear.
BA sheep can hear sounds of lower frequencies than a human can hear.
CThe highest frequency of sound that a human can hear is approximately 10 000 Hz lower than the highest frequency of sound a sheep can hear.
DThe lowest frequency of sound that a human can hear is approximately 1900 Hz higher than the lowest frequency of sound a sheep can hear.
Mark scheme
2May / June 2026 · Paper 12 · Q28Show mark scheme →
A240m
B480m
C4700m
D9400m
Mark scheme
3Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 11 · Q18Show mark scheme →
Acompressions, rarefactions, reflected
Bcompressions, rarefactions, refracted
Crarefactions, compressions, refracted
Drarefactions, compressions, reflected
Mark scheme
4Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 11 · Q24Show mark scheme →
A200 m / s
B360 m / s
C400 m / s
D650 m / s
Mark scheme
5Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aa louder sound of a higher pitch
Ba louder sound of the same pitch
Ca sound of higher pitch but the same loudness
Da sound of the same pitch and same loudness
Mark scheme
6Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 12 · Q5Show mark scheme →
A390 m
B780 m
C1600 m
D5800 m
Mark scheme
7Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 12 · Q26Show mark scheme →
A1 and 3
B1 only
C2 and 4
D4 only
Mark scheme
8May / June 2025 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Alongitudinal, smaller
Blongitudinal, greater
Ctransverse, smaller
Dtransverse, greater
Mark scheme
9May / June 2025 · Paper 11 · Q26Show mark scheme →
AIts amplitude increases.
BIts frequency increases.
CIts speed increases.
DIts wavelength increases.
Mark scheme
10May / June 2025 · Paper 11 · Q27Show mark scheme →
A0.013 m
B0.026 m
C0.052 m
D0.078 m
Mark scheme
11May / June 2025 · Paper 12 · Q18Show mark scheme →
AP, X
BP, Y
CQ, X
DQ, Y
Mark scheme
12May / June 2025 · Paper 12 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aoptical fibre communication
Bprenatal scanning
Cphotography
Dtelephone communications
Mark scheme
13May / June 2025 · Paper 12 · Q26Also set in May / June 2017 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
A300 m
B450 m
C600 m
D750 m
Mark scheme
14May / June 2025 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
Alongitudinal, smaller than 20 kHz
Blongitudinal, greater than 20 kHz
Ctransverse, smaller than 20 kHz
Dtransverse, greater than 20 kHz
Mark scheme
15Oct / Nov 2024 · Paper 11 · Q29Also set in Oct / Nov 2019 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
Aabsorption
Bdispersion
Creflection
Drefraction
Mark scheme
16Oct / Nov 2024 · Paper 12 · Q19Show mark scheme →
A330 m/s, 6.6 cm
B890 m/s, 89 cm
C1500 m/s, 6.0 cm
D4000 m/s, 25 cm
Mark scheme
17May / June 2024 · Paper 11 · Q28Show mark scheme →
A140 m
B150 m
C270 m
D300 m
Mark scheme
18May / June 2024 · Paper 12 · Q23Show mark scheme →
Aa sound with a wavelength of 250 cm
Ba sound with a wavelength of 25 cm
Ca sound with a wavelength of 2.5 cm
Dnone of the above
Mark scheme
19May / June 2024 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
Acleaning jewellery
Bscanning an unborn baby
Csonar
Dsterilising water
Mark scheme
20Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 11 · Q22Show mark scheme →
A0.5–50 Hz
B5–500 Hz
C50–5000 Hz
D500–50 000 Hz
Mark scheme
21May / June 2023 · Paper 11 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Agas → liquid → solid
Bliquid → solid → gas
Csolid → gas → liquid
Dsolid → liquid → gas
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22May / June 2023 · Paper 12 · Q23Show mark scheme →
A30 Hz–3.0 kHz
B300 Hz–30 kHz
C3.0 kHz–3.0 MHz
D30 kHz–30 MHz
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23Oct / Nov 2022 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aamplitude
Bfrequency
Cshape
Dwavelength
Mark scheme
24Oct / Nov 2022 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
A2.0 Hz and 500 Hz
B2.0 Hz and 25 kHz
C25 Hz and 25 kHz
D500 Hz and 25 kHz
Mark scheme
25Oct / Nov 2022 · Paper 12 · Q28Show mark scheme →
Atrace A
Btrace B
Ctrace C
Dtrace D
Mark scheme
26May / June 2022 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Agas / liquid
Bgas / solid
Cliquid / gas
Dsolid / gas
Mark scheme
27May / June 2022 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
Alongitudinal compression
Blongitudinal rarefaction
Ctransverse compression
Dtransverse rarefaction
Mark scheme
28May / June 2022 · Paper 12 · Q28Also set in May / June 2022 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
A250 m / s
B300 m / s
C330 m / s
D500 m / s
Mark scheme
29May / June 2022 · Paper 12 · Q29Also set in May / June 2022 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
Acleaning jewellery
Bfluorescent tubes
Coptical fibres
Dsunbeds
Mark scheme
30Oct / Nov 2021 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
A\frac{x}{Nt}
B\frac{2x}{Nt}
C\frac{Nx}{t}
D\frac{2Nx}{t}
Mark scheme
31Oct / Nov 2021 · Paper 12 · Q28Show mark scheme →
Afocussing
Breflection
Crefraction
Dtotal internal reflection
Mark scheme
32Oct / Nov 2021 · Paper 12 · Q29Also set in Oct / Nov 2021 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
Aultrasound absorbed by the baby
Bultrasound emitted by the baby
Cultrasound reflected by the baby
Dultrasound refracted by the baby
Mark scheme
33May / June 2021 · Paper 12 · Q28Also set in May / June 2021 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
A160 m
B640 m
C1280 m
D2560 m
Mark scheme
34May / June 2021 · Paper 12 · Q29Show mark scheme →
AP and Q only
BP and R only
CQ and R only
DP, Q and R
Mark scheme
35Oct / Nov 2020 · Paper 11 · Q30Show mark scheme →
Aa longitudinal electromagnetic wave
Ba transverse electromagnetic wave
Can oscillation of particles parallel to the direction of travel of the wave energy
Dan oscillation of particles perpendicular to the direction of travel of the wave energy
Mark scheme
36Oct / Nov 2020 · Paper 12 · Q26Also set in Oct / Nov 2020 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
Ain a vacuum
Bin gases
Cin liquids
Din solids
Mark scheme
37Oct / Nov 2020 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
A4.0 s
B6.0 s
C8.0 s
D10 s
Mark scheme
38Oct / Nov 2020 · Paper 12 · Q28Show mark scheme →
Alongitudinal, less than 20 kHz
Blongitudinal, greater than 20 kHz
Ctransverse, less than 20 kHz
Dtransverse, greater than 20 kHz
Mark scheme
39May / June 2020 · Paper 11 · Q30Show mark scheme →
A20 : 1
B1000 : 1
C10 000 : 1
D20 000 : 1
Mark scheme
40May / June 2020 · Paper 11 · Q31Show mark scheme →
Aoptical fibre communication
Bpre-natal scanning
Csunbeds
Dtelephone communications
Mark scheme
41Oct / Nov 2019 · Paper 11 · Q29Show mark scheme →
A3.3 × 10⁴ cm / s
B3.3 × 10⁴ m / s
C3.3 × 10² km / s
D3.3 × 10⁸ m / s
Mark scheme
42Oct / Nov 2019 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
A$c_L$ $c_s$ $c_a$
B$c_L$ $c_a$ $c_s$
C$c_a$ $c_L$ $c_s$
D$c_s$ $c_L$ $c_a$
Mark scheme
43Oct / Nov 2019 · Paper 12 · Q28Show mark scheme →
A40 m / s
B80 m / s
C160 m / s
D320 m / s
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44May / June 2019 · Paper 11 · Q27Show mark scheme →
A
B
C
D
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45May / June 2019 · Paper 12 · Q29Show mark scheme →
A2.0 Hz to 2.0 kHz
B20 Hz to 2.0 kHz
C20 Hz to 20 kHz
D200 Hz to 200 kHz
Mark scheme
46May / June 2019 · Paper 12 · Q30Show mark scheme →
Ac_a > c_i
Bc_a > c_w
Cc_i > c_w
Dc_w = c_a
Mark scheme
47Oct / Nov 2018 · Paper 11 · Q21Show mark scheme →
A10^2
B10^4
C10^6
D10^8
Mark scheme
48Oct / Nov 2018 · Paper 11 · Q22Show mark scheme →
Alowest frequency: 2.0 Hz; highest frequency: 2.0 kHz
Blowest frequency: 2.0 Hz; highest frequency: 20 000 Hz
Clowest frequency: 20 Hz; highest frequency: 20 kHz
Dlowest frequency: 20 kHz; highest frequency: 20 000 kHz
Mark scheme
49Oct / Nov 2018 · Paper 11 · Q23Show mark scheme →
Acleaning
Bpre-natal scanning
Cquality control
Dsterilising medical equipment
Mark scheme
50Oct / Nov 2018 · Paper 11 · Q36Show mark scheme →
A4.5 ms
B9.0 ms
C12 ms
D32 ms
Mark scheme
51Oct / Nov 2018 · Paper 12 · Q27Show mark scheme →
A150 m / s
B300 m / s
C750 m / s
D1500 m / s
Mark scheme
52May / June 2018 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
A2 Hz to 2000 Hz only
B2 Hz to 20 000 Hz only
C20 Hz to 2000 Hz only
D20 Hz to 20 000 Hz only
Mark scheme
53May / June 2018 · Paper 11 · Q34Show mark scheme →
A6.0 m
B12 m
C24 m
D48 m
Mark scheme
54May / June 2018 · Paper 12 · Q31Also set in May / June 2018 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
A[diagram: P with horizontal double-headed arrow]
B[diagram: P with horizontal single arrow to the right]
C[diagram: P with curved wave arrow]
D[diagram: P with vertical double-headed arrow]
Mark scheme
55May / June 2018 · Paper 12 · Q32Show mark scheme →
A12 mHz
B12 Hz
C12 kHz
D12 MHz
Mark scheme
56May / June 2018 · Paper 12 · Q33Show mark scheme →
Acleaning jewellery
Bsatellite communication
Cfluorescent tubes
Doptical fibres
Mark scheme
57Oct / Nov 2017 · Paper 12 · Q19Show mark scheme →
AAll particles on one line move in the same direction at the same time.
BThe direction of travel of the sound wave is parallel to the lines.
CThe distance between a compression and its adjacent rarefaction is a wavelength.
DThe pattern of lines represents a transverse wave.
Mark scheme
58Oct / Nov 2017 · Paper 12 · Q25Also set in Oct / Nov 2017 Paper 11Show mark scheme →
A330; 1500; 6000
B330; 6000; 1500
C6000; 330; 1500
D6000; 1500; 330
Mark scheme
59Oct / Nov 2016 · Paper 11 · Q29Show mark scheme →
Aamplitude
Bfrequency
Cspeed
Dwavelength
Mark scheme
60Oct / Nov 2016 · Paper 12 · Q29Show mark scheme →
Agas → liquid → solid
Bgas → solid → liquid
Cliquid → solid → gas
Dsolid → liquid → gas
Mark scheme
61Oct / Nov 2016 · Paper 12 · Q30Show mark scheme →
A250 m / s
B300 m / s
C330 m / s
D500 m / s
Mark scheme
62May / June 2016 · Paper 11 · Q26Show mark scheme →
Alower lower
Blower same
Csame lower
Dsame same
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63May / June 2016 · Paper 12 · Q22Show mark scheme →
AA
BB
CC
DD
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