Science of Sound

The Science of Sound – The Physical World - Science Show

• Learn about the phenomena of sound! You and your students will be wowed by demonstrations which explore what sound is, how it is created and how sound behaves. Walk away with a clear explanation and understanding of volume, pitch and frequency. We’ll also break the sound barrier, see a teacher blasted by a pressure wave and have a laugh with a human xylophone.
• 45 minute science show. Developed for Years 4-8.
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Science in a Van's 'The Science of Sound!' science show

Use the timestamps below to watch the Science in a Van team recap the concepts used in the show

2:09 The Basics : "Sound is caused by vibrations"

3:49 "Sound needs a material to travel through" : Vacuum Jar Experiment. Sadly, the sound wasn't great for this experiment ... good news is you can see it here

9:56 "Volume is energy ... more energy means more volume"

11:17 Coat Hanger Experiment

18:20 A very simple overview of pitch

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We have FIVE videos all based around the science of sound for teachers. Check out the playlist.

Seen the show? Here's some discussion starters ...

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• At the end of the show we used different sized chimes to play happy birthday. Each chime was a different length. How do you think that changed the sound each one made? Did the volume or pitch change?
• Alan cracked a whip and he broke the sound barrier. Do you know of any other examples of ways to break the sound barrier? How is this different to going faster than the speed of light?
• Remember the angry sausage? Why couldn't we hear it when Alan sucked all the air out of the jar?
• Have you ever screamed under water? Does sound work the same way then?
• Can you hear noise through solid materials?
• The first demo we did involved a very silly 'hat'. There were tubes running to each ear but something odd was going on when we 'dinged' the bell. Where was the sound coming from? Could you recreate this experiment in a different way?
• The straw kazoo made some very strange noises and it relied heavily on the vibrations created by blowing in it. Are there other wind instruments that work in a similar way?

More ideas from the web;

• Make your own mini Air Zooka!
• A great video about spending time in the world's quietest room (also nice references to decibels in different environments).