Pitch of Sounds · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Pitch: What Makes a Sound High or Low

Science · Waves, Light & Sound · ages 8-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Look at the two guitar strings. Which one vibrates faster?

    Shortstring2Longstring7
    • Short string
    • Long string
    • They vibrate at the same speed

  2. What is pitch?

    • How loud a sound is
    • How high or low a sound is
    • How long a sound lasts

  3. A fast vibration makes a low pitch.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Look at the two drums. Which one would make the higher-pitched sound?

    Small drum2Large drum7
    • Small drum
    • Large drum
    • Both sound the same

  5. Sam plucks a thick string and a thin string that are the same length and tightness. Which one sounds higher?

    • The thick string
    • The thin string
    • Both sound the same

  6. A drummer tightens a drumhead so it is stretched tighter than before. What happens to the pitch?

    • The pitch gets higher
    • The pitch gets lower
    • The pitch stays the same

  7. A xylophone has bars of different lengths. Which bar rings out the highest pitch when hit?

    • The longest bar
    • The middle-length bar
    • The shortest bar

  8. Lily says a big cello string sounds higher than a small violin string because the cello is the bigger instrument. What is wrong with her idea?

    • Bigger, thicker strings vibrate slower, so the cello string actually sounds lower
    • Instrument size never changes the pitch of a string
    • The cello string vibrates faster because it is longer
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Pitch: What Makes a Sound High or Low W1-mt_KTSoXcO7OL-s1

  1. Short string · Short, tight strings vibrate faster than long ones, which gives them a higher pitch.
  2. How high or low a sound is · Pitch is about how high or low a sound is, not how loud or long it lasts.
  3. False · A fast vibration makes a high pitch. Slow vibrations make the pitch low.
  4. Small drum · Smaller drums vibrate faster than large ones, so they sound higher.
  5. The thin string · Thinner strings vibrate faster than thick ones, so the thin string rings out higher.
  6. The pitch gets higher · Tightening an object makes it vibrate faster, which raises the pitch.
  7. The shortest bar · Shorter bars vibrate faster than longer ones, so the shortest bar sounds the highest.
  8. Bigger, thicker strings vibrate slower, so the cello string actually sounds lower · Bigger, thicker strings vibrate more slowly, which makes the pitch lower, not higher.
Worksheet · LightMySky