Question

How can a megaphone used by a cheerleader allow people on the opposite side of a field to hear her better?

A) The metal or plastic of the megaphone cannot absorb the sound waves.
B) The inside of the megaphone is like a vacuum because its shape eliminates air pressure.
C) The air pressure is greater inside the megaphone than outside and the sound waves are able to travel further.
D) Solid objects can change the direction of sound waves; megaphones allow users to determine the general direction of the sound.

Answer 1

Answer: D.

Explanation: Experience has taught us that the tone can help determine the direction of the sound waves. People riding a motorbike wearing a helmet, for example, often find it difficult to hear where an ambulance is coming from, as the helmet reduces the outer ear's ability to determine the tone of the sound.

When a person hears sounds of limited wavelengths, the head functions as a screen. If the sound comes from a direction to the right of the face, the head will prevent the sound waves from reaching the left ear. Deep base sounds, on the other hand, have a larger wavelength, and the head will not prevent the sound waves from reaching both ears.

Answer 2

A megaphone used by a cheerleader can allow people on the opposite side of a field to hear her better because;

D. Solid objects can change the direction of sound waves; megaphones allow users to determine the general direction of the sound.

Determination of the general direction of the sound lessens its dispersion and thus, it reaches the observers at a higher intensity, hence it being louder.