Lesson 4.6.1.4

4.6.1.4 Sound waves (physics only) (HT only) Quiz: AQA Physics, Unit 6

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.6.1.4, Sound waves (physics only) (HT only): 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Physics (8463), Unit 6: Waves, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the range of normal human hearing?

    • 20 kHz to 200 kHz
    • 20 Hz to 20 kHz
    • 2 Hz to 2 kHz
    • 200 Hz to 2 kHz

  2. What do sound waves cause when travelling through a solid material?

    • Ionisation
    • Vibrations
    • Expansion
    • Melting

  3. Sound waves in air cause which part of the ear to vibrate?

    • The retina
    • The cornea
    • The ear drum
    • The lens

  4. What is the normal frequency range of human hearing?

    • 20 Hz to 20 Hz
    • 200 Hz to 200 kHz
    • 2 Hz to 2 kHz
    • 20 Hz to 20 kHz

  5. Can a typical young person hear a sound wave with a frequency of 15 kHz?

    • Only underwater
    • Yes
    • No, too low
    • No, too high

  6. What is the name for sound waves with a frequency above 20 kHz?

    • Ultrasound
    • Visible light
    • Radio waves
    • Infrasound

  7. A sound wave with a frequency of 10 Hz lies outside which limit?

    • Speed of sound
    • Upper hearing limit
    • Lower hearing limit
    • Ultrasound threshold

  8. Which process converts sound waves into solid vibrations in humans?

    • Ear drum vibration
    • Lens refraction
    • Retina absorption
    • Cochlea cooling

  9. What is the upper hearing limit of a typical human, in hertz?

    • 20 Hz
    • 2000 Hz
    • 200 000 Hz
    • 20 000 Hz

  10. What does a bone-conduction hearing device use to transmit sound?

    • Thermal expansion
    • Fluid pressure drops
    • Electromagnetic radiation
    • Skull bone vibrations

  11. An ear drum vibrates at 1 kHz. What is the period of its vibration?

    • 0.1 s
    • 0.01 s
    • 1000 s
    • 0.001 s

  12. How do sound waves in air cause a solid structure like the eardrum to vibrate?

    • Thermal expansion
    • Pressure variations
    • Magnetic pull
    • Electrical charges

  13. What is the ratio of the upper to the lower hearing limit, using 20 kHz and 20 Hz?

    • 1000:1
    • 10 000:1
    • 20:1
    • 100:1

  14. Why can humans not hear a sound wave with a frequency of 40 kHz?

    • Below 20 Hz limit
    • Wavelength too large
    • Amplitude too low
    • Exceeds 20 kHz limit

  15. A sound wave reaches the ear. What variation in air reaches the ear drum?

    • Temperature
    • Electric charge
    • Light intensity
    • Pressure

  16. What happens to a sound wave with a frequency far above 20 kHz?

    • Not heard by ears
    • Passes through solids
    • Becomes a transverse wave
    • Travels much faster

  17. What is the difference between 20 kHz and 20 Hz, in hertz?

    • 19 980 Hz
    • 19 800 Hz
    • 2000 Hz
    • 20 020 Hz

  18. Why is a sound heard when a vibrating tuning fork touches a table?

    • Electrons start flowing
    • Air temperature increases
    • Vibrations pass through table
    • Light reflects off wood

  19. Which of these sounds lies within the range of normal human hearing?

    • A 50 kHz tone
    • A 200 Hz tone
    • A 5 Hz tone
    • A 30 kHz tone

  20. What physical quantity defines the range of human hearing?

    • Speed
    • Frequency
    • Temperature
    • Colour

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