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Oak National Academy
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Year 9

Hearing sound

I can explain how sound waves cause sounds to be heard, and describe the range and limits of human hearing.

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New
New
Year 9

Hearing sound

I can explain how sound waves cause sounds to be heard, and describe the range and limits of human hearing.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Sound waves cause our eardrums, tiny bones within our ears, and the cochlea to vibrate.
  2. Specialised cells in the cochlea sense vibrations and cause electrical signals to be sent to the brain along a nerve.
  3. The brain creates the sensation of hearing a sound when it receives signals from the ear through a nerve.
  4. Human ears can detect sound waves with frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz, being most sensitive to 2–5 kHz waves.
  5. Sound waves below 20 Hz are called infrasound; above 20 kHz, ultrasound. They are not detected by human ears.

Common misconception

Sound waves are the same thing as the sound heard. Sound waves somehow 'have' sound.

Distinguish between the sound heard and the sound wave. The brain creates the sensation of hearing a sound when it receives nerve signals from the ear. The sound (heard) does not exist until created by the brain. Sound waves themselves have no sound.

Keywords

  • Sound wave - a ‘pulse’ that travels through a material, caused by forward and backward vibrations of particles

  • Eardrum - a membrane within the ear that is caused to vibrate by incoming sound waves

  • Sound - a sensation of hearing something

  • Amplitude - a measure of how far particles vibrate in a sound wave

  • Frequency - the number of vibrations each second

Use a signal generator and a loudspeaker to test frequencies that pupils can detect by increasing volume from zero to maximum slowly and asking pupils to raise their hands (eyes closed) – telling them you will sometimes play no sound as a check.
Teacher tip

Equipment

signal generator, speaker and connecting wires

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following describes the particles in air when there is no sound wave passing through?
They are not moving.
Correct answer: They are moving randomly.
They are moving back and forth.
Q2.
What happens to the particles in air when a sound wave passes through?
They move randomly but at greater speeds.
They travel in the direction of the sound wave.
Correct answer: They vibrate, but also have some random motion.
Q3.
Which of the following is the most accurate description of a sound wave?
the transfer of energy from one place to another
the movement of some particles through a material
the movement of a material from one place to another
Correct answer: a repeating pattern of pulses that travels through a material
Q4.
Which of the following words can be used to describe a region of a sound wave in which the particles are closer together than normal?
Correct answer: compression
medium
pitch
wavelength
Q5.
A very loud sound is made, and the sound wave hits a small feather which is hanging from a thread. What happens to the feather?
Correct answer: It vibrates.
It moves towards the source of the sound.
It moves away from the source of the sound.
Q6.
Which of the following statements about sound waves are correct?
They are transverse waves.
Correct answer: They are longitudinal waves.
Particles vibrate at 90° to the direction of wave travel.
Correct answer: Particles vibrate parallel to the direction of wave travel.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following words with the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:amplitude,a measure of the size of the particle vibrations in a sound wave

a measure of the size of the particle vibrations in a sound wave

Correct Answer:pitch,how high or low a sound we hear is

how high or low a sound we hear is

Correct Answer:frequency,the number of vibrations of a sound wave each second

the number of vibrations of a sound wave each second

Correct Answer:volume,how loud or quiet a sound we hear is

how loud or quiet a sound we hear is

Q2.
The diagram shows a human ear. Match each label with the name of the part.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:A,pinna

pinna

Correct Answer:B,ear canal

ear canal

Correct Answer:C,small bone

small bone

Correct Answer:D,eardrum

eardrum

Correct Answer:E,nerve

nerve

Correct Answer:F,cochlea

cochlea

Q3.
Which of the following statements about a sound wave is correct?
Correct answer: It is a pattern of vibrations of particles.
It is the sensation of hearing something.
It can travel through gases, but not liquids or solids.
Q4.
Match each of the following types of wave with the correct frequencies.
Correct Answer:sound waves,20 Hz to 20 000 Hz

20 Hz to 20 000 Hz

Correct Answer:ultrasound waves,above 20 000 Hz

above 20 000 Hz

Correct Answer:infrasound waves,below 20 Hz

below 20 Hz

Q5.
Which of the following sound wave frequencies is the human ear most sensitive to?
20 Hz
800 Hz
Correct answer: 3000 Hz
12 000 Hz
25 000 Hz
Q6.
Starting with vibrating air particles in the ear canal, sort the following statements to describe the steps between a sound wave reaching a person’s ear and the person hearing the sound.
1 - Air particles in the ear canal vibrate, making the eardrum vibrate.
2 - This makes three tiny bones vibrate, acting as levers.
3 - This makes a liquid inside the cochlea vibrate.
4 - This makes tiny hair cells vibrate.
5 - They send electrical signals along nerve cells.
6 - The brain creates the sensation of hearing a sound.

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