Speakers and microphones

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Lesson notes

Speaker Construction

  • A speaker consists of a coil of wire, a permanent magnet, and a cone.
  • The coil is attached to the cone and sits in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet.
  • When a current flows through the coil, a magnetic field forms around it.

How a Speaker Produces Sound

  • The coil's magnetic field interacts with the permanent magnet's field, producing a force on the coil.
  • This force causes the cone to move.
  • If the current is alternating (constantly changes direction), the force direction reverses each time.
  • The cone vibrates back and forth, creating sound waves.
  • The frequency of the sound equals the frequency of the cone's vibration.

Making Sound Louder

  • Increase the current flowing through the coil.
  • Increase the number of turns in the coil.
  • Increase the strength of the permanent magnet's magnetic field.

Microphone Construction

  • A microphone is built similarly to a speaker but works in reverse.
  • It contains a diaphragm (equivalent to the cone) and a coil of wire in a magnetic field.

How a Microphone Works

  • Sound waves cause the diaphragm to vibrate.
  • The vibrating diaphragm moves the coil within the magnetic field.
  • The changing magnetic field induces a current in the coil.
  • This current can be sent to a speaker or recorded.

Slides

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Practice questions

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  1. 1.Which of the following is NOT a part of a speaker?

    Easy
    • ACoil of wire
    • BPermanent magnet
    • CCone
    • DDiaphragm
  2. 2.What is an alternating current?

    Easy
    • AA current that always flows in one direction
    • BA current that constantly changes direction
    • CA current that flows in a loop
    • DA current that is very strong
  3. 3.Which part of a microphone vibrates when sound reaches it?

    Easy
    • ACoil of wire
    • BPermanent magnet
    • CDiaphragm
    • DCone
  4. 4.If the current in the coil of a speaker is decreased, what happens to the sound made?

    Easy
    • AIt becomes louder
    • BIt becomes quieter
    • CIt stays the same
    • DIt stops completely
  5. 5.Which of the following would NOT make a speaker produce a louder sound?

    Medium
    • AIncrease the current flowing through the coil
    • BIncrease the number of turns in the coil
    • CIncrease the strength of the permanent magnet
    • DDecrease the current flowing through the coil
  6. 6.A microphone works in the opposite way to a speaker. What does a microphone convert sound into?

    Easy
    • ALight
    • BHeat
    • CAn electrical current
    • DMagnetic field
  7. 7.In a speaker, what causes the cone to move?

    Medium
    • AThe magnetic field of the coil interacting with the permanent magnet
    • BThe sound waves hitting the cone
    • CThe current in the coil heating up the cone
    • DThe permanent magnet pushing the cone directly
  8. 8.If the frequency of the alternating current in a speaker is increased, what happens to the sound produced?

    Easy
    • AIt becomes louder
    • BIt becomes quieter
    • CIt becomes higher in pitch
    • DIt becomes lower in pitch

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