Lass: Hearing Science Fundamentals
Test Bank
Chapter 1: Basic Acoustics
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Sound can be defined as:
a. simple harmonic motion
b. energy at a specific frequency
c. a measurement of loudness
d. a disturbance of particles in a medium
ANS: D
For sound to be produced, there must be an energy source, a body capable of vibration,
and a transmitting medium.
REF: p. 5
2. A medium that has elasticity possesses the property of:
a. compression
b. springiness
c. resistance
d. periodicity
ANS: B
A medium that has elasticity has a propensity to return to its original position when the
forces of displacement are removed.
REF: p. 5
3. The maximum displacement of particles of a medium is:
a. peak amplitude
b. peak-to-peak amplitude
c. loudness
d. intensity
ANS: A
Peak amplitude is the distance from the baseline to the maximum displacement of
particles.
REF: p. 9
4. The distance a sound travels during one complete cycle of vibration is its:
a. frequency
b. amplitude
Copyright © 2007, 2002, 1998 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
, Test Bank 1-2
c. waveform
d. wavelength
ANS: D
Wavelength is the distance that a disturbance travels during one complete cycle of
vibration and can be measured in feet, meters, or centimeters.
REF: p. 11
5. The time needed to complete one complete cycle of vibration is its:
a. frequency
b. period
c. wavelength
d. velocity
ANS: B
The period is the time needed for one complete cycle of vibration and is inversely related
to frequency.
REF: p. 12
6. The relationship between period and frequency is:
a. frequency = 1 - period
b. frequency = 1/period
c. frequency = period - 1
d. frequency = 1 + period
ANS: B
Frequency and period are inversely related.
REF: p. 16
7. A waveform graph shows amplitude as a function of:
a. wavelength
b. frequency
c. time
d. period
ANS: C
A waveform shows the interaction of different frequencies over time.
REF: p. 18
8. Which of the following is not a complex sound?
a. a note on a piano
b. speech
c. a whistle
d. all the above are complex sounds
Copyright © 2007, 2002, 1998 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
, Test Bank 1-3
ANS: D
A complex sound is one with energy at more than one frequency. Therefore, anything
other than a pure tone is a complex sound.
REF: p. 20
9. A complex sound that has a fundamental frequency is:
a. periodic
b. aperiodic
c. noise
d. music
ANS: A
A periodic sound is one in which the waveform repeats itself, and the frequency of each
component in the waveform is a whole-number multiple of the fundamental frequency.
REF: p. 21
10. The resonant frequency of a cavity is determined by:
a. air pressure
b. tube length
c. tube width
d. particle velocity
ANS: B
When a standing wave is set up in a tube, the length of the tube will determine the
wavelength, which in turn will determine the resonant frequency.
REF: p. 26
11. The wavelength of the standing wave in a tube that is 10 cm long is:
a. 10 cm
b. 20 cm
c. 30 cm
d. 40 cm
ANS: D
The tube length needed for resonance to occur is equal to the wavelength of the
frequency of the sound source divided by 4 (tube length = wavelength []/4).
REF: pp. 29-30
12. A tube that is 10 cm long will have a resonant frequency of:
a. 425 Hz
b. 850 Hz
c. 1700 Hz
d. 3400 Hz
Copyright © 2007, 2002, 1998 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
, Test Bank 1-4
ANS: B
This may be computed using the formula wavelength = velocity of sound/stimulus
frequency. The wavelength is 40 cm, four times the length of the tube. 40 = 34,000/f; f =
850.
REF: p. 31
13. Undamped resonators respond to:
a. a wide range of frequencies
b. all frequencies
c. a narrow range of frequencies
d. a fundamental frequency and its harmonics
ANS: C
Undamped resonators resonate to a narrow range of frequencies because they contain
only a narrow range of frequencies.
REF: p. 33
14. The smallest pressure variation produced by a 1-kHz pure tone that can be detected by
young listeners with no auditory pathology is:
a. 0.0002 dyne/cm2
b. 0.0002 bar
c. 20 Pa
d. all the above
ANS: D
All these expressions are equal to each other. Pressure is measured as force distributed
over a given area. The dyne is a measure of force and the square centimeter is the area
measured.
REF: p. 36
15. The ratio of the smallest detectable sound pressure to the pressure that produces pain is:
a. one to 1000
b. one to 10,000
c. one to 1 million
d. one to 10 million
ANS: D
The sound pressure of a 1-kHz tone that produces a sensation of pain is 10 million times
that of the smallest pressure detectable by humans.
REF: pp. 36-37
16. The decibel scale is a(n) ____ scale.
a. linear
b. logarithmic
Copyright © 2007, 2002, 1998 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Bank
Chapter 1: Basic Acoustics
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Sound can be defined as:
a. simple harmonic motion
b. energy at a specific frequency
c. a measurement of loudness
d. a disturbance of particles in a medium
ANS: D
For sound to be produced, there must be an energy source, a body capable of vibration,
and a transmitting medium.
REF: p. 5
2. A medium that has elasticity possesses the property of:
a. compression
b. springiness
c. resistance
d. periodicity
ANS: B
A medium that has elasticity has a propensity to return to its original position when the
forces of displacement are removed.
REF: p. 5
3. The maximum displacement of particles of a medium is:
a. peak amplitude
b. peak-to-peak amplitude
c. loudness
d. intensity
ANS: A
Peak amplitude is the distance from the baseline to the maximum displacement of
particles.
REF: p. 9
4. The distance a sound travels during one complete cycle of vibration is its:
a. frequency
b. amplitude
Copyright © 2007, 2002, 1998 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
, Test Bank 1-2
c. waveform
d. wavelength
ANS: D
Wavelength is the distance that a disturbance travels during one complete cycle of
vibration and can be measured in feet, meters, or centimeters.
REF: p. 11
5. The time needed to complete one complete cycle of vibration is its:
a. frequency
b. period
c. wavelength
d. velocity
ANS: B
The period is the time needed for one complete cycle of vibration and is inversely related
to frequency.
REF: p. 12
6. The relationship between period and frequency is:
a. frequency = 1 - period
b. frequency = 1/period
c. frequency = period - 1
d. frequency = 1 + period
ANS: B
Frequency and period are inversely related.
REF: p. 16
7. A waveform graph shows amplitude as a function of:
a. wavelength
b. frequency
c. time
d. period
ANS: C
A waveform shows the interaction of different frequencies over time.
REF: p. 18
8. Which of the following is not a complex sound?
a. a note on a piano
b. speech
c. a whistle
d. all the above are complex sounds
Copyright © 2007, 2002, 1998 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
, Test Bank 1-3
ANS: D
A complex sound is one with energy at more than one frequency. Therefore, anything
other than a pure tone is a complex sound.
REF: p. 20
9. A complex sound that has a fundamental frequency is:
a. periodic
b. aperiodic
c. noise
d. music
ANS: A
A periodic sound is one in which the waveform repeats itself, and the frequency of each
component in the waveform is a whole-number multiple of the fundamental frequency.
REF: p. 21
10. The resonant frequency of a cavity is determined by:
a. air pressure
b. tube length
c. tube width
d. particle velocity
ANS: B
When a standing wave is set up in a tube, the length of the tube will determine the
wavelength, which in turn will determine the resonant frequency.
REF: p. 26
11. The wavelength of the standing wave in a tube that is 10 cm long is:
a. 10 cm
b. 20 cm
c. 30 cm
d. 40 cm
ANS: D
The tube length needed for resonance to occur is equal to the wavelength of the
frequency of the sound source divided by 4 (tube length = wavelength []/4).
REF: pp. 29-30
12. A tube that is 10 cm long will have a resonant frequency of:
a. 425 Hz
b. 850 Hz
c. 1700 Hz
d. 3400 Hz
Copyright © 2007, 2002, 1998 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
, Test Bank 1-4
ANS: B
This may be computed using the formula wavelength = velocity of sound/stimulus
frequency. The wavelength is 40 cm, four times the length of the tube. 40 = 34,000/f; f =
850.
REF: p. 31
13. Undamped resonators respond to:
a. a wide range of frequencies
b. all frequencies
c. a narrow range of frequencies
d. a fundamental frequency and its harmonics
ANS: C
Undamped resonators resonate to a narrow range of frequencies because they contain
only a narrow range of frequencies.
REF: p. 33
14. The smallest pressure variation produced by a 1-kHz pure tone that can be detected by
young listeners with no auditory pathology is:
a. 0.0002 dyne/cm2
b. 0.0002 bar
c. 20 Pa
d. all the above
ANS: D
All these expressions are equal to each other. Pressure is measured as force distributed
over a given area. The dyne is a measure of force and the square centimeter is the area
measured.
REF: p. 36
15. The ratio of the smallest detectable sound pressure to the pressure that produces pain is:
a. one to 1000
b. one to 10,000
c. one to 1 million
d. one to 10 million
ANS: D
The sound pressure of a 1-kHz tone that produces a sensation of pain is 10 million times
that of the smallest pressure detectable by humans.
REF: pp. 36-37
16. The decibel scale is a(n) ____ scale.
a. linear
b. logarithmic
Copyright © 2007, 2002, 1998 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
