06-26-2025, 12:53 PM
Below is a detailed set of essay-type questions based on the "Sound Waves" chapter from the Kerala 10th Standard Physics curriculum, written from a student’s perspective. Each question includes a comprehensive answer of at least 300 words, covering key concepts, explanations, and application-level insights to ensure thorough exam preparation. The answers are structured to reflect a student’s understanding, with clear explanations, examples, and practical applications. These essay answers, written from a student’s perspective, provide detailed explanations, examples, and applications, ensuring a thorough grasp of the chapter for exam success.
An example is:
Explain the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves with examples from the chapter. How does sound travel as a longitudinal wave in air?
Answer:
As a student, I’ve learned that waves are a way energy travels, and the "Sound Waves" chapter clearly distinguishes between longitudinal and transverse waves, which has deepened my understanding of sound. Longitudinal waves occur when particles in a medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation. Sound waves are a prime example, as demonstrated in our slinky activity. When we compressed and released one end of a slinky, the coils moved back and forth parallel to the wave’s direction, mimicking how sound travels. Transverse waves, on the other hand, have particles vibrating perpendicular to the wave’s direction. In another activity, we oscillated a spring with a weight, creating crests (high points) and troughs (low points) that moved vertically while the wave traveled horizontally, similar to light waves, which are electromagnetic and transverse. Sound travels as a longitudinal wave in air by creating alternating regions of high and low pressure. When a tuning fork vibrates, its prongs move, pushing air molecules on one side to form a compression (high-pressure region, denoted C) and pulling them apart on the other side to form a rarefaction (low-pressure region, denoted R). As the prongs continue vibrating, these compressions and rarefactions propagate through the air, carrying the sound energy. This was illustrated in Fig. 1.9, where the tuning fork’s motion creates a wave of pressure variations. Understanding this helps explain why sound needs a medium like air, unlike light, which can travel through a vacuum. These concepts make me appreciate how different wave types govern phenomena around us, from hearing
a friend’s voice to seeing sunlight, connecting classroom experiments to real-world observations. For more Essay questions with answers on
10th std Physics Ch 1 Sound Waves click here
Kerala SSLC Physics Chapter 1 Sound Waves- Essay Questions.pdf (Size: 47.94 KB / Downloads: 2)