Asked by des

Students are using a mallet to hit a drum. The diagram below shows this action.



When the mallet hits the drum, the drum skin begins to vibrate. When the drum skin curves inward, the particles of air near the inside surface are compressed together and then they move apart. When the drum skin curves outward, the particles of air near the inside surface move apart again then the particles of air are compressed together and a wave of compressed particles moves outward.





Which statement BEST describes the phenomenon illustrated in the model?


Sound waves are being absorbed by the drum.


Sound waves are being transferred from the mallet to the drum.


Sound waves are being reflected by the drum.


Sound waves are being transmitted through the air in the drum.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Sound waves are being transmitted through the air in the drum.

Reason: The vibrating drum skin creates alternating compressions and rarefactions in the adjacent air (a pressure wave) that travel outward — this is the transmission of sound through the air.