Lesson T4.1.3

T4.1.3 Echoes and hearing range Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T4.1.3, Echoes and hearing range: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 4: Waves, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What causes an echo to be heard after a short time delay?

    • Reflected sound wave
    • Diffracted sound wave
    • Refracted sound wave
    • Absorbed sound wave

  2. Why is there a delay before hearing an echo from a distant wall?

    • Wave decay
    • Frequency shift
    • Air resistance
    • Travel time

  3. How long after shouting is an echo heard from a wall 170 m away at 340 m/s?

    • 1.0 s
    • 3.4 s
    • 2.0 s
    • 0.5 s

  4. A wall produces an echo in 2 s. How far away is it if sound speed is 340 m/s?

    • 680 m
    • 100 m
    • 340 m
    • 170 m

  5. Which surface type is best for producing a loud, clear echo?

    • Rough foam
    • Thick curtain
    • Soft carpet
    • Smooth hard wall

  6. What happens to sound energy when it is absorbed by a material?

    • Taken in
    • Amplified
    • Bounced back
    • Speed up

  7. Why do concert halls use soft curtains and padded seats?

    • To amplify sound
    • To absorb sound
    • To create echoes
    • To reflect sound

  8. An echo is heard after 4 seconds. How far is the reflecting surface? (Speed is 340 m/s)

    • 1360 m
    • 340 m
    • 170 m
    • 680 m

  9. What is the approximate normal hearing range for a healthy adult human?

    • 1 000 Hz to 100 000 Hz
    • 1 Hz to 100 Hz
    • 20 000 Hz to 50 000 Hz
    • 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz

  10. Which animal can hear ultrasound frequencies far higher than humans can?

    • An earthworm
    • A blue whale
    • A bat
    • A goldfish

  11. What technique do bats use to locate obstacles and prey using reflected sound?

    • Refraction
    • Diffraction
    • Dispersion
    • Echolocation

  12. Why does a sound fade out as it travels across a large empty hall?

    • Energy is absorbed
    • Speed increases
    • Wavelength grows
    • Frequency increases

  13. What time delay is typically needed between original and reflected sounds to hear an echo?

    • About 0.1 s
    • Zero seconds
    • At least 5.0 s
    • Exactly 0.001 s

  14. Which of these is a common practical application of ultrasound?

    • Checking oven temperatures
    • Detecting visible light
    • Measuring direct current
    • Medical scanning

  15. A sonar pulse returns from the seabed in 0.5 s. How deep is the water? (Speed is 1500 m/s)

    • 375 m
    • 750 m
    • 3000 m
    • 150 m

  16. What is the minimum distance to a wall to hear an echo after 0.1 s? (Speed is 340 m/s)

    • 17 m
    • 340 m
    • 8.5 m
    • 34 m

  17. What term describes sound waves bouncing off a hard cliff face?

    • Refraction
    • Diffraction
    • Reflection
    • Absorption

  18. Why do indoor swimming pools with hard tiled walls sound very echoey?

    • Rapid diffraction
    • High absorption
    • Zero wave speed
    • Strong reflection

  19. An echo returns in 0.8 s from a cliff 136 m away. What is the speed of sound?

    • 340 m/s
    • 170 m/s
    • 680 m/s
    • 108 m/s

  20. Which material type is best for reducing unwanted echoes inside a cinema?

    • Glass panels
    • Soft fabric
    • Concrete
    • Sheet metal

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