Characteristics of Sound
Characteristics of Sound: Overview
This topic discusses the three characteristics of sound. Here, it explains loudness, pitch and quality. These characteristics are explained with the help of activities.
Important Questions on Characteristics of Sound
What does the loudness of a sound depend on?

The reflecting surface has to be at least _____ metres away for us to hear an echo distinctly.
Choose from the following:

Sound needs a _____to travel.

Sound vibrations die out after travelling some distance due to the loss of _____.(Energy/Force)

The maximum displacement of a vibrating body from its position of rest is its _____.

The decibel is a unit that measures


What helps us distinguish between the same note of the same loudness produced by two musical instruments?

How are echoes used in medicine?

What are echoes? Why do we not hear them all the time?

Why do we see a flash of lightning before we hear the accompanying sound of thunder? Which characteristic of sound determines how far it can travel before dying out?


Name two animals which can hear sounds that we cannot hear.


What determines the pitch of a percussion instrument?

What would happen to the sound produced by a stretched string if you increased its tautness?

What is the pitch of a sound? What does it depend on?

Name the three characteristics that help us distinguish one sound from another.
