Here’s a bank of 60 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on the topic of sound, designed to meet the BISE Gujranwala standards. The questions are categorized into easy, moderate, and tough levels, with answers provided at the end.
Easy Questions (30%)
1. What is sound?
- A) A type of light
- B) A type of wave
- C) A color
- D) A solid object
2. Sound travels fastest in:
- A) Air
- B) Water
- C) Steel
- D) Vacuum
3. The audible frequency range for humans is approximately:
- A) 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- B) 100 Hz to 10 kHz
- C) 1 Hz to 100 Hz
- D) 100 Hz to 1 kHz
4. Which of the following is a source of sound?
- A) A stationary object
- B) A vibrating object
- C) A solid object
- D) None of the above
5. Sound waves are:
- A) Longitudinal waves
- B) Transverse waves
- C) Surface waves
- D) Standing waves
6. Noise pollution can be caused by:
- A) Musical instruments
- B) Traffic
- C) Loudspeakers
- D) All of the above
7. Which instrument is used to measure sound intensity?
- A) Thermometer
- B) Anemometer
- C) Decibel meter
- D) Barometer
8. The unit of frequency is:
- A) Hertz
- B) Decibel
- C) Joule
- D) Newton
9. Which of the following is not a property of sound?
- A) It travels in waves
- B) It requires a medium to travel
- C) It is visible
- D) It can be reflected
10. Which of the following is an example of ultrasound?
- A) Sound from a human voice
- B) Sound from a dog barking
- C) Sound used in medical imaging
- D) Music from a speaker
Moderate Questions (40%)
11. The speed of sound in air at room temperature (20°C) is approximately:
- A) 343 m/s
- B) 300 m/s
- C) 500 m/s
- D) 1000 m/s
12. When sound waves pass from air to water, they:
- A) Speed up
- B) Slow down
- C) Change direction
- D) Both A and C
13. Which phenomenon explains the bending of sound waves as they enter a different medium?
- A) Reflection
- B) Refraction
- C) Diffraction
- D) Interference
14. What type of wave is created when a sound source moves towards an observer?
- A) Redshift
- B) Blue shift
- C) Longitudinal wave
- D) Transverse wave
15. Which frequency range is considered ultrasonic?
- A) Below 20 Hz
- B) 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- C) Above 20 kHz
- D) 100 Hz to 10 kHz
16. Sound waves can be:
- A) Reflected
- B) Refracted
- C) Absorbed
- D) All of the above
17. The principle of acoustics is essential for:
- A) Designing buildings
- B) Conducting scientific experiments
- C) Both A and B
- D) None of the above
18. Which of the following is an effect of noise pollution?
- A) Improved concentration
- B) Increased stress levels
- C) Enhanced communication
- D) Better sleep quality
19. A sound wave with a higher frequency will have:
- A) A lower pitch
- B) A higher pitch
- C) No pitch
- D) The same pitch as lower frequency
20. The Doppler effect is commonly experienced with:
- A) Light waves only
- B) Sound waves only
- C) Both sound and light waves
- D) None of the above
21. In which medium does sound travel the slowest?
- A) Water
- B) Air
- C) Steel
- D) Vacuum
22. What occurs when sound waves encounter a barrier?
- A) They are absorbed
- B) They are transmitted
- C) They are reflected
- D) All of the above
23. The pitch of a sound is determined by its:
- A) Amplitude
- B) Frequency
- C) Speed
- D) Wavelength
24. What type of sound wave has the longest wavelength?
- A) Infrasonic
- B) Audible
- C) Ultrasonic
- D) Sonic
25. Which is NOT a characteristic of sound?
- A) It travels through solids, liquids, and gases
- B) It is a form of electromagnetic radiation
- C) It has frequency and amplitude
- D) It can be refracted and diffracted
26. The frequency of a sound wave is inversely related to its:
- A) Speed
- B) Amplitude
- C) Wavelength
- D) Density
27. When a sound wave travels from one medium to another, what happens to its speed?
- A) It always increases
- B) It always decreases
- C) It may increase or decrease depending on the medium
- D) It remains constant
28. The process of reducing sound intensity in a room is known as:
- A) Sound absorption
- B) Sound reflection
- C) Sound amplification
- D) Sound distortion
29. A sound with a frequency of 15 kHz is classified as:
- A) Infrasonic
- B) Audible
- C) Ultrasonic
- D) Subsonic
30. The change in frequency of a sound wave when the source moves away from an observer is known as:
- A) Compression
- B) Rarefaction
- C) Doppler effect
- D) Resonance
Tough Questions (30%)
31. Which of the following best describes noise pollution?
- A) Harmful sound levels that disrupt normal living conditions
- B) Sounds that are pleasant to hear
- C) Sounds that do not affect human health
- D) Sounds that can be ignored
32. Ultrasound is often used in:
- A) Medical imaging
- B) Music production
- C) Radio broadcasting
- D) None of the above
33. The phenomenon of sound bending around corners is known as:
- A) Refraction
- B) Reflection
- C) Diffraction
- D) Interference
34. The speed of sound is influenced by:
- A) Temperature only
- B) Humidity only
- C) Both temperature and density of the medium
- D) None of the above
35. The concept of resonance occurs when:
- A) Two waves of the same frequency cancel each other
- B) An object vibrates at its natural frequency
- C) Sound waves are refracted
- D) Sound waves are absorbed by a medium
36. A sound wave has a frequency of 440 Hz. What is its wavelength in air (assuming the speed of sound is 343 m/s)?
- A) 0.78 m
- B) 0.60 m
- C) 0.50 m
- D) 0.80 m
37. The frequency of a sound wave is increased. What happens to its wavelength?
- A) It increases
- B) It decreases
- C) It remains the same
- D) It becomes zero
38. In a concert hall, good acoustics can be achieved by:
- A) Using sound-absorbing materials
- B) Using reflective surfaces
- C) Both A and B
- D) None of the above
39. The pitch of a sound is perceived differently depending on:
- A) The listener's age
- B) The loudness of the sound
- C) The distance from the sound source
- D) All of the above
40. The formula for calculating the speed of sound is given by:
- A) v = fλ
- B) v = f/T
- C) v = m/a
- D) v = P/V
41. When sound waves undergo interference, they can:
- A) Amplify each other
- B) Cancel each other out
- C) Create standing waves
- D) All of the above
42. Which phenomenon is responsible for the change in sound intensity as a source moves towards or away from an observer?
- A) Reflection
- B) Refraction
- C) Doppler effect
- D) Diffraction
43. A sound wave traveling through a medium
is subject to what kind of energy transformation?
- A) Kinetic to potential energy
- B) Chemical to thermal energy
- C) Mechanical to sound energy
- D) Sound to light energy
44. Which of the following statements is true about infrasonic waves?
- A) They are above the audible range.
- B) They are below the audible range.
- C) They are only produced by electronic devices.
- D) They cannot be heard by humans.
45. The phenomenon of sound localization refers to:
- A) The ability to hear sounds
- B) The ability to determine the direction of a sound source
- C) The ability to amplify sounds
- D) The ability to reproduce sounds accurately
46. Sound waves can be polarized.
- A) True
- B) False
47. What happens to sound waves in a vacuum?
- A) They travel at normal speed
- B) They do not travel at all
- C) They travel slowly
- D) They amplify
48. What is the main advantage of using ultrasound in medical diagnostics?
- A) It is painful for patients
- B) It can penetrate soft tissues without harmful effects
- C) It is expensive
- D) It requires invasive procedures
49. The frequency of sound is measured in:
- A) Amperes
- B) Volts
- C) Hertz
- D) Decibels
50. What type of sound is typically used for echolocation in animals?
- A) Infrasonic
- B) Ultrasonic
- C) Audible
- D) Subsonic
51. The sound intensity level is measured in:
- A) Hertz
- B) Watts
- C) Decibels
- D) Pascals
52. The study of how sound interacts with environments is known as:
- A) Optics
- B) Acoustics
- C) Thermodynamics
- D) Dynamics
53. Which of the following is a common use of ultrasound in medicine?
- A) X-rays
- B) MRI scans
- C) Sonograms
- D) Blood tests
54. The principle that explains why sound can bend around obstacles is:
- A) Reflection
- B) Refraction
- C) Diffraction
- D) Absorption
55. Which type of sound wave has the shortest wavelength?
- A) Infrasonic
- B) Audible
- C) Ultrasonic
- D) Sonic
56. What occurs when sound waves encounter a softer medium?
- A) They are amplified
- B) They are refracted
- C) They are absorbed
- D) They reflect perfectly
57. The unit of sound intensity is:
- A) Newton
- B) Joule
- C) Decibel
- D) Watt
58. The phenomenon that occurs when sound waves interact with each other is known as:
- A) Absorption
- B) Interference
- C) Refraction
- D) Reflection
59. What happens to sound intensity as the distance from the source increases?
- A) It increases
- B) It decreases
- C) It remains constant
- D) It doubles
60. The type of wave that can travel through a vacuum is:
- A) Sound wave
- B) Electromagnetic wave
- C) Mechanical wave
- D) Longitudinal wave
Answers
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. A
6. D
7. C
8. A
9. C
10. C
11. A
12. D
13. B
14. B
15. C
16. D
17. C
18. B
19. B
20. C
21. B
22. D
23. B
24. A
25. B
26. C
27. C
28. A
29. C
30. C
31. A
32. A
33. C
34. C
35. B
36. A
37. B
38. C
39. D
40. A
41. D
42. C
43. C
44. B
45. B
46. B
47. B
48. B
49. C
50. B
51. C
52. B
53. C
54. C
55. C
56. C
57. C
58. B
59. B
60. B