Exploring Sound Vibrations
Science Experiment OverviewThis is a two-part experiment where students will be engaging in activities that demonstrate the nature of sound. In the first part, students will be testing the "myth" of the cans (or paper cups) and string telephone. This will be a means for them to gain insight into the fact that sound is caused by vibration. Students will have the opportunity to create their own paper cup and string telephone to test. They will discover that they are in fact able to hear one another through their hand-crafted devices, and will be asked to provide an explanation.
Students will have the opportunity to apply knowledge gained from their paper cup telephone experiment by engaging in an extension activity. In the extension, they will be exploring the changing tones of sound as it travels through a different medium. They will fill three glasses with varying amounts of water and be asked to predict which glass will have the highest/lowest pitch when a pencil is swirled on its rim. Once again, they will be asked to provide reasoning for what is happening. |
Curricular Connections
This experiment ties in to the grade 3 program of study (Alberta Education) under the topic of Hearing and Sound. The learning outcomes that will be addressed in this experiment include, students will:
- describe the nature of sound, and demonstrate methods for producing and controlling sound
- identify examples of vibration, recognize that sound is the result of vibration;
- demonstrate that the larger the vibration, the louder the sound,
- recognize that pitch is the result of differences in the rate of vibration, and predict how a change in the rate of vibration will affect a sound
- demonstrate a variety of ways of producing sounds;
- identify examples that show that sound can travel through a variety of materials, including solids, liquids and air.