CSD 303 – Fundamentals of Hearing

Sample Objective Questions

Exam #1
TRUE / FALSE
T F There are exactly 180 degrees in half a cycle of vibration.

(TRUE).

T F A transient sound has a line spectrum.

(FALSE. A transient sound has a continuous spectrum).

T F When two or more sine waves combine, their amplitudes add together at
every point in time.

(TRUE).

T F The frequency of a sinusoidal vibration is inversely related to its starting phase.

(FALSE. Frequency is inversely related to the period of vibration).

T F The greater the mass of an object, the smaller the amount of force that will be
needed to change the object’s state of motion.

(FALSE. Inertia grows in proportion to mass, and the greater the inertia of an
object the greater the force that is required to change its state of motion).

T F Zero dB SPL corresponds to the complete absence of sound.

(FALSE. A sound at 0 dB SPL exerts a pressure that exactly matches the

pressure of the reference sound).
T F Zero dB HL corresponds to perfectly normal hearing for a particular sound
stimulus.

(TRUE).

MULTIPLE CHOICE
A clarinet note is an example of a complex tone. Therefore, you would expect it to have which
of the following?

a) a fundamental frequency
b) harmonics
c) both a and b
d) neither a nor b

(C).

Which of the following series is ordered from smallest to largest?

a) micro, kilo, deci

b) kilo, micro, deci
c) milli, centi, deci
d) two of the above

(C).

Roughly speaking, what is the wavelength of a 500-Hz tone?

a) about 2 inches
b) about 2 feet
c) about 20 feet
d) can’t tell from the information given

(B. It is 0.688 meters (330 meters/500) or roughly 2 feet).

Two sine tones with identical frequencies and amplitudes are sounding in a room. They can be
expected to interact with one another in a way that _____.

a) results in an especially large amplitude at some points in the room

b) results in an especially small amplitude at some points in the room
c) both a and b
d) neither a nor b

(C. There will be both constructive interference (a) in some places, and destructive interference
(b) in others).

If the frequency of the 5th harmonic of a complex tone is 1800 Hz, and the tone also has a 7th
harmonic, what must the frequency of the 7th harmonic be?

a) 2000 Hz
b) 2520 Hz
c) 2800 Hz
d) can’t tell from the information given

(B. 7/5 * 1800 = 2520 Hz).