This document contains a science test for year 8 students on sound and light. It includes 8 multiple choice and short answer questions that assess students' understanding of key concepts such as: - Why thunder is heard after lightning is seen - How distance to a storm can be estimated by measuring the time between a lightning flash and thunder clap - How ground vibrations from a large group of students jumping can be measured using sensors - Safety guidelines for listening to sounds at different volume levels - Reflection, refraction, and color mixing of light - How the ear drum vibrates in response to changes in sound pitch and volume

1. North Somerset Bulk LEA 1
Clevedon Community School Science Department
Year 8 KL Test
Sound and Light
21 min
31 marks
Attempt all questions

2. North Somerset Bulk LEA 2
1. Thunder and lightning happen at the same time.
(a) We see the flash of lightning before we hear the thunder.
Give the reason for this.
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1 mark
(b) Omar investigated the movement of a storm. He measured the time between
seeing a flash of lightning and hearing the thunder.
He did this six times. Omar put his results in a table.
flash of
lightning
time between seeing the
lightning and hearing the
thunder, in seconds
A 8.0
B 5.0
C 3.0
D 9.0
E 13.0
F 16.5
Omar drew a bar chart of his results as shown below.
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
A B C D E F
flash of lightning
time, in
seconds
(i) On the bar chart, draw a bar for flash D. Use a ruler.
1 mark

3. North Somerset Bulk LEA 3
(ii) Which flash of lightning was closest to Omar?
Give the correct letter.
...................................................................
1 mark
(iii) Describe how the distance between the storm and Omar changed as the
storm moved between flash A and flash F.
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1 mark
Maximum 4 marks
2. On 7th September 2001, at 11.00 am, over a million pupils took part in a national
investigation.
They all jumped up and down at exactly the same time.
Sensors were used to measure the vibrations caused by the jump.
Before they jumped, four pupils described some effects they might notice.
(a) What type of statement did the pupils make?
conclusions methods
observations predictions
1 mark

4. North Somerset Bulk LEA 4
(b) Sensors at different places recorded the vibrations of the ground.
Why was it important that all the pupils jumped together?
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1 mark
(c) The sensor recordings below show the amount of vibration of the ground at three
different places during the jump.
Sensor A was near where pupils jumped
Sensor B was at another place near where pupils jumped
Sensor C was at a place far away from where pupils jumped
Carol said, ‘When pupils jump, only the ground nearby will vibrate’.
(i) Describe how the evidence in the recordings supports Carol’s idea.
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1 mark

5. North Somerset Bulk LEA 5
(ii) Suggest one reason for the difference between the readings of sensor A
and sensor B.
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1 mark
maximum 4 marks
3. Sound levels are measured in decibels (dB).
The graph shows the recommended maximum times people should listen to sounds
of different levels.
At longer times there could be serious damage to hearing.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104
sound level in decibels (dB)
recommended
maximum
listening time
each day,
in hours

6. North Somerset Bulk LEA 6
(a) What is the maximum time each day for listening to a personal stereo at 96 dB?
…………… hours
1 mark
(b) In what way could a sound of more than 120 dB damage the ear?
……………………………………….…………………………..………………….
1 mark
(c) (i) Sally works for five hours in a nightclub. What should the maximum sound
level be in the nightclub so that her hearing is not damaged?
Use the graph to find your answer.
………… dB
1 mark
(ii) How can ear plugs protect Sally’s ears?
……………………………………….……………………………………….
……………………………………….……………………………………….
1 mark
Maximum 4 marks
4. The diagram shows a lamp and a piece of cardboard. The piece of cardboard has a
hole in it. Light from the lamp passes through the hole and forms a bright spot on a wall.
piece of
cardboard wall
A
B
C
D
E
hole
lamp

7. North Somerset Bulk LEA 7
(a) (i) Which point on the wall, A B, C, D or E, is lit up by the lamp?
......................
1 mark
(ii) Explain why the other points on the wall are not lit up by the lamp.
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1 mark
(b) A piece of clear green plastic is placed over the hole.
What is the colour of the light which shines on the wall?
............................................……
1 mark
(c) The diagram shows a ray of light from a lamp hitting a mirror.
lamp
P
Q
R
S mirror
Which arrow, P, Q, R or S, shows the reflected ray?
......................
1 mark
Maximum 4 marks

8. North Somerset Bulk LEA 8
5. (a) The diagram below shows a ray of red light entering a glass block.
ray of
red light
air
glass
block
air
(i) Most of the light goes into the glass block, but some does not.
What happens to the light which does not go into the glass block?
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1 mark
(ii) As the light goes into the glass block, it changes direction.
What is the name of this effect?
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1 mark
(b) The diagram below shows white light passing through a prism and forming a
spectrum on a white screen.
prism
ray of
white light
white
screen
spectrum

9. North Somerset Bulk LEA 9
The spectrum contains light of all colours. Red is at one end of the
spectrum. Write blue, green and violet below in the order of the spectrum.
Red
1 mark
(c) A pupil puts a green filter in the ray of white light. What happens to the
spectrum on the screen?
Tick the correct box.
The whole spectrum turns green.
The green part of the spectrum disappears, but the
other colours stay the same.
The green part of the spectrum stays the same, but
the other colours disappear.
The whole spectrum disappears.
1 mark
Maximum 4 marks

10. North Somerset Bulk LEA 10
6. (a) A teacher shines a laser beam onto a classroom window. It reflects off the
window and onto a screen.
window
screen
laser beam
On the diagram above, continue the laser beam to show its path as it reflects off
the window and onto the screen. Use a ruler.
Add arrows to show the direction of the laser beam.
2 marks
(b) (i) When a pupil plays her flute in the classroom the window vibrates.
Give the reason for this.
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1 mark
(ii) When the window vibrates, what happens to the laser beam that is reflected
off the window?
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1 mark

11. North Somerset Bulk LEA 11
(c) The teacher places a microphone near the pupil as she plays her flute. The
diagram below shows the pattern on an oscilloscope screen.
The pupil then plays her flute at a higher pitch and more quietly.
Which diagram below shows the pattern that would be seen on the oscilloscope?
Tick the correct box.
A
C
B
D
1 mark
maximum 5 marks

12. North Somerset Bulk LEA 12
7. The diagram shows a ray of light hitting the surface of a mirror made from thick glass.
The incident ray is both reflected and refracted.
incident
ray
glass mirror
A
B
C
D
(a) (i) Give the letters of the two reflected rays.
............... and ...............
1 mark
(ii) Give the letter of one refracted ray.
...............
1 mark
(b) The incident ray is brighter than ray A.
Give one reason for this.
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1 mark
maximum 3 marks

13. North Somerset Bulk LEA 13
8. The diagram shows part of an ear.
Sound waves enter the ear and make the ear drum vibrate.
(a) The pitch of the sound is increased. What difference will this make to the
way the ear drum vibrates?
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1 mark
(b) The sound is made louder. What difference will this make to the way the ear
drum vibrates?
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1 mark
(c) Explain how a person’s ear can be damaged by loud sounds.
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1 mark
Maximum 3 marks