Question

Which of the following is sonorous:
(A) Sodium
(B) Silver
(C) Lead
(D) All of these

Answer 1

Hint: Sonority is the property of the metals to produce sound. For that metals need to be of low density. It depends on the elasticity of the metal. We need to find out which metals possess the property of elasticity to get the answer.

Complete answer: We know that metals are sonorous. They produce sound when they are stuck together or they collide. It is one of the most important properties of metals.
(i) Metals possess different types of properties and they are sonorous, malleable and ductile. They are used in different instruments like cymbals and bells due to the sonority property. Other than metals, non-metals are non-sonorous. They don’t produce ringing sound when they are struck.
(ii) Due to low electronegativity when they are struck, the electron cloud moves easily and the energy dissipation is quite low. So this produces the kinetic energy which is required to produce the required sound.
(iii) This allows the incoming kinetic energy to be easily propagated in a form of non-equilibrium in the form of a wave. Since metals have high elasticity these waves travel with high-speed propagation. Since metals have high elasticity which is required for high-speed propagation these sounds can easily propagate in audible frequencies.
(iv) In the given option sodium has less density and it is also a soft metal and it is not sonorous. Lead is very dense and is not sonorous. Silver has the sonority property and is sonorous.

Hence the correct answer is option(B).

Note: Not all metals are sonorous. Lead being of high density doesn’t propagate kinetic energy easily due to which sonority is not observed. Due to the properties of metals, they have various applications in day to day life.