KS3 Science · Physics
Sound
Seven short lessons. Look at the picture, learn three things, then play.
Test yourself
Puzzles
These two are for the whole topic. Each lesson has a word search and a crossword of its own as well, at the top of its page.
Knowledge organiser
The whole topic on one page. Tap it to make it bigger.
Take it with you
Save these to print or read later.
Key words
Wave A vibration that carries energy from place to place, but not matter
Transverse wave Its vibration is at right angles to the way the wave travels
Longitudinal wave Its vibration is along the same line as the wave travels
Vibration A back and forth movement that repeats
Vacuum A space with no particles in it
Amplitude The height of a wave, from its middle line to a peak
Wavelength The distance from one peak of a wave to the next
Frequency The number of waves each second, in hertz (Hz)
Pitch How high or low a sound is
Volume How loud or quiet a sound is, in decibels (dB)
Oscilloscope Shows a sound as a wave on a screen
Echo A sound reflected back from a surface
Absorption When the energy of a sound is transferred to a material
Ear drum A thin skin in the ear that vibrates when sound reaches it
Hearing range The lowest and highest frequencies an animal can hear
Ultrasound Sound with a frequency too high for humans to hear
Microphone Turns a sound wave into an electrical signal
Loudspeaker Turns an electrical signal into a sound wave