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Question

Difficulty: EasyWaves, Sound, and Light

A musician tightens a guitar string, which causes the string to vibrate at a higher frequency when plucked. How does this increase in frequency change the sound that is heard?

  1. A
    The loudness of the sound increases.
  2. The pitch of the sound becomes higher.Answer
  3. C
    The speed of the sound wave through the surrounding air increases significantly.
  4. D
    The wavelength of the sound wave in the air becomes longer.

Answer

The pitch of the sound becomes higher.
The pitch of a sound is directly determined by the frequency of the sound wave. When the frequency of vibration increases, the ear perceives the sound at a higher pitch.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the acoustic property controlled by the frequency of a sound wave.
Frequency measures the number of wave cycles per second (HzHz) and directly determines perceived pitch.
Pitch is the psychological perception of wave frequency in human hearing.
2
Determine the physical consequence of increasing the frequency of vibration.
An increase in frequency produces a higher-pitched tone.
Faster vibrations create compressions that reach the ear more frequently, resulting in a higher pitch.

Key Concept

Relationship between wave frequency and sound pitch
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Waves, Sound, and Light

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