Question

The buzzing sound produced by a mosquito is produced by:
A) Its mouth
B) Vibration of surrounding air
C) Vibration of wings
D) None of these

Answer 1

Hint: Approach the solution as what is the thing or process or phenomenon that causes some sound to be made. You will recall that its vibrations due to which any or every sound is made. Vibrating particles produce and transport the sound.

Complete step by step answer:
As described in the hint section, we will first develop a common knowledge about how any or every sound is produced. And then, we will explain about how the buzzing sound by a mosquito is produced.
We can say that sound is a type of mechanical energy which is produced by vibrations. When an object or molecules or particles of an object vibrate, it causes movement in surrounding air particles or molecules through colliding with them. This causes these new vibrating molecules to bump into the molecules close to them, which in turn, makes them vibrate along with them. They further collide with more and more air particles in their vicinity. This, resembling a chain reaction type movement, called sound waves, keeps going until the molecules run out of the driving energy which usually takes a long time and their vibrations are actually never zero, but get reduced as the time passes.
Now, let us discuss the buzzing sound made by a mosquito. We have definitely observed that the sound is only heard when mosquitoes are flying instead of just sitting. This is a strong sign towards the fact that the buzzing sound is produced by mosquitoes flapping their wings to fly, hence, the buzzing sound is produced by the vibration of wings of a mosquito.
$\therefore$ The correct option is C.

Note: There is a series of molecular collisions as the sound wave passes through the air, but the air molecules themselves don’t move with the wave. As it is very equally disturbed, each molecule just moves away from their respective mean positions and then eventually returns to it.