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Experiment: To investigate whether sound travels better through a solid or a gas.
Materials:
You will need-Method:Two 30 cm pieces of thread.
One metal clothes hanger.
A piece of paper and a pen to record your results.
What you have to do-
1) Tie one piece of thread to each end of the hanger.Results:
2) Hold the hanger upside down by the ends of the pieces of string.
3) Bang the hanger against a table.
4) Listen to how loud the sound is!
5) Now repeat steps one and two but this time put your fingers in your ears while holding the strings.
6) Bang the hanger against a table.
7) Listen to how loud the sound is!
Did you discover what we did?
When your fingers are in your ears the sound is much louder. Conclusions:
Sound travels better through a solid (string), than through a gas (air).
Table Thunder!
Experiment: Another experiment to investigate whether sound travels better through a solid or a gas.
Materials:
You will need-Method:
One friend.
One table.
A piece of paper and a pen to record your results.
What you have to do-
1) Sit opposite your friend.Results:
2) Knock on the table.
3)Listen to how loud the sound is.
4) Ask your friend to place their ear against the surface of the table.
5)Knock on the table again.
6) Ask your friend to describe how loud the sound is through the table.
Did you discover what we did?
When you listen to the knocking sound through the table, it is much louder. Conclusions:
Sound travels better through a solid (table), than through a gas (air).
Tick Tock!
Experiment: To investigate through which solid, sound travels best.
Materials:
You will need-Method:
One friend.
A watch – not digital!
Different types of solids about the same thickness e.g. wood, glass, concrete, plastic, paper.
A piece of paper and a pen to record your results.
What you have to do-
1) Partner 1 and 2 should stand either side of the solid e.g. a glass window.Bright ideas!
2) Partner 1 should hold the ticking watch against the solid.
3)Partner 2 should then press their ear against the solid on the other side and listen to the intensity of the sound of the 'tick tock' from the clock.
4)Repeat these steps using different solids and then record through which solid the 'tick tock' sound was loudest. In other words which solid let the 'tick tock' sound travel through best.
Make up a scale (1-4) of sound intensities, to help you record your results!
1. Very soft.Then record your results on a table like this one!
2. Soft.
3. Loud.
4. Very Loud.
| Wood | Glass | Plastic | Paper Book | |
| Very Soft | ||||
| Soft | * | |||
| Loud | * | * | ||
| Very Loud | * |
Larynx Laughs!
Experiment: To examine how the larynx or voice box vibrates as we speak.
Materials:
You will need-Method:
Yourself.
Your hand.
What you have to do-
1)Place your hand firmly mid way on your throat.Results:
2) Say 'aghhhh!' for as long as you can.
Did you discover what we did?
You can feel your throat vibrating!
Experiment: To examine (hear and feel) sound vibrations!
Materials:
You will need-Method:A Partner.
A balloon.
What you have to do-
1) Blow up the balloon.Results:
2) Hold it against your ear.
3) Ask your partner to press their lips against the balloon and speak.
4) Repeat steps 3 and 4 but this time you should speak and your friend should listen.
Did you discover what we did?
You can hear the vibrations through the balloon and you can feel them.
You can feel your own voice through your lips as the balloon's skin vibrates against them.
Conclusions:
Sound is created when an object moves and the air around it vibrates creating sound waves.
Squawkers and Screechers!
Experiment: To create some strange sounds with everyday materials.
Materials:
You will need-Method:A drinking straw.
A strip of plastic.
Scissors.
A balloon.
What you have to do-
With the plastic:Results:1)Hold the strip of plastic tightly between your thumbs and the heels of your hands.
2) Blow hard across the strip.With the straw:
1)Press one end of the straw flat.
2) Cut the sides to form a point.
3) Put the pointed end of the straw in your mouth and blow hard.With the balloon:
1) Pump up the balloon.
2) Hold the neck to stop the air escaping.
3) Grip the neck of the balloon and stretch it.
4) What happens as the air escapes?
You can make some very weird sounds.
Experiment: To create a megaphone and discover how we can make our voices louder and how we can hear more.
Materials:
You will need-Method:Sticky tape.
A scissors.
A large sheet of paper.
What you have to do-
1) Roll the paper into a cone.Results:
2) Stick tape along the edge of the rolled paper to secure it.
3) Put the cone over your mouth and talk into it.
4) Put the cone to your ear.
What happens when you put the cone to your ear?
What happens when you put the cone to your mouth and speak?
Experiment: To create a loud bang with paper!
Materials:
You will need-Method:
A sheet of paper about 30 x 40 cm.
What you have to do-
1) Fold the longest edges of the paper together, and open it out again.Results:
2) Fold down each of the four corners to the first center fold.
3) Fold the paper in half along the first centre fold.
4) Fold the paper in half again and then open it out.
5) Fold down the two top corners.
6) Fold the paper back to make a triangle shape.
The banger is ready now.
7) Grip the banger firmly by the two top corners.
Swish it down sharply with a quick flick of the wrist.
A loud bang occurs!
Experiment: To prove / examine how sound can travel through objects.
Materials:
You will need-Method:
Two pieces of tracing paper.
One pencil.
Sticky tape.
String.
Two rubber bands.
Two paper clips.
Two cardboard tube.
What you have to do-
1) Fold a piece of tracing paper over one end of each tube.Results:
2) Fix it with a rubber band.
3) Pull the paper tight and tape it to the tubes.
4) Thread the string through both holes.
5) Tie a paperclip to each end to stop the string slipping back through.
6) Use the tubes as a simple telephone.
7)Hold one tube to your ear and listen while your friend speaks softly into the other tube.
What happens?
Conclusions:
What happens when you place cotton wool into the tubes?
Why?
Why do you think this is happening?
Experiment: To bounce sound!
Materials:
You will need-Method:
Two pieces of tracing paper.
One plate
Cork
Several books
A ticking watch
Two cardboard tubes
A friend
What you have to do-
1) Build two piles of books, they must be the same height.Ask a friend to hold the plate near the far ends of the tubes. Can you hear the watch?
2) Carefully lay the tubes on the books as shown above.
3) Hold the watch to your ear.
4) Listen carefully to make sure you can hear it ticking.
5) Put the watch just inside the end of one tube.
6) Listen at the end of the other tube. Can you hear the watch?
Now ask your friend to replace the plate with the cork. Can you hear the watch? Results:
What happens?
Conclusions:
What happens when you place cotton wool into the tubes?
Why?
More things to try:
Finding the beat! Be a Doctor.
Experiment: To make soft sounds loud.
Materials:
Conclusions:
Experiment: To examine how the ear detects the arrival of sound.
Materials:
Conclusions:
Experiment: To examine sound waves as they travel through the air.
Materials:
Conclusions:
Experiment: To examine how the ear works by making a model ear!
Materials:
Conclusions:
Experiment: To make a hydrophone and to examine whether or not sound waves can travel under water.
Materials:
Can sound waves travel through water?
Through which does sound travel better, air or water?
Conclusions:
Why do you think this is happening?
Wood,
Cotton Wool
You will need-
Method:
Plastic Tubing,
A Scissors
Sticky Tape
A funnel
What you have to do-
1) Put the funnel into the plastic tube and secure it with tape.
Results:
2) Put the funnel against a friend's chest and hold the end of the tube to your ear.
What happens?
Why do you think this is happening?
You will need-
Method:
A rubber band.
Uncooked rice.
A plastic bowl.
A scissors.
A saucepan.
A large spoon.
A piece of plastic.
Sticky tape
What you have to do-
1) Cut the piece of plastic so that it is bigger than the top of the bowl.
Results:
2) Stretch the plastic tightly over the bowl and secure it with a rubber band.
3) Tape the plastic down to keep it stretched. This is your drum.
4) Sprinkle a few grains of rice on top of the drum.
5) Hold the saucepan near the drum and hit it sharply with the spoon.
The grains of rice jump up and down!
Why do you think this is happening?
You will need-
Method:
A strip of thin plastic.
A piece of stiff card.
A cardboard tube.
A strip of paper.
A pencil.
Scissors.
A rubber band.
Sticky tape.
What you have to do-
1) Use the tube to draw a circle on the piece of paper.
Results:
2) Cut out the circle.
3) Make a hole in the center of the circle with the pencil.
4) Tape the circle firmly to one end of the tube.
5) Fold the plastic over the other end of the tube, and secure it with the rubber band.
6) Fold the paper strip and tape one end to a flat surface so that the other end sticks up.
7) Hold the tube so that the hole points at the top of the paper strip.
8) Sharply tap the other end of the tube.
What Happens?
Why do you think this is happening?
You will need-
Method:
A pen.
An elastic band.
A scissors.
Glue.
Double sided tape.
A table tennis ball.
Card.
A bendable drinking straw.
A transparent bowl.
Water.
Detachable cake tin sides.
Card with a grid of squares on it.
What you have to do-
1) Draw a rectangle with two slits on the thick card.
Results:
2) Draw around half of the cake tin.
3) Carefully cut out the shape you have drawn.
4) Repeat steps 1-3.
5) Cut out two rectangles of card, each with two slits at either end of the top edges.
6) Join all the card pieces at the slits. This is the stand that your “ear” rests on.
7) Put a large piece of cling film over one end of the tin.
8) Hold it in place with the elastic band, and make sure that it is stretched tight.
9) Cut a large triangle of thin card, with a flap along half of the long edge.
10) Fold the triangle in two.
11) Dab glue on the flap.
12) Glue one end of the straw to the inside of the triangle.
13) Slit the other end of the straw.
14) Stick the table tennis ball to the straw with sticky tape and attach the triangle to the cling film.
15) Make sure that the end of the straw is at the center of the circle.
16) Place the tin on its stand, so the ball just dips into the water in the bowl.
17) Put the grid card below the bowl to make it easier to see the ripples in the water.
18) Make lots of different sounds behind the drum and watch the eaters surface.
Do different sounds make different ripples?
Can you identify the different parts of the ear?
Why do you think this is happening?
You will need-
Method:
A plastic 2 litre bottle.
A basin.
Water.
Two rocks.
A scissors.
A Friend.
What you have to do-
1) Cut off the base of the plastic bottle.
Results:
2) Fill the basin with water, but not to the top.
3) Place the plastic bottle into the water.
4) Put your ear to the top of the bottle.
5) Ask your friend to bang two stones together under the water, near the bottle.
6) Repeat the experiment above the water.
Did you discover what we did?
What did you discover?