6.
1 Sound waves
I can...
explain how sound is created when different materials vibrate
In this topic you will:
Learn how sound comes from vibrations
discover how particles vibrate in a sound wave
find out why sound does not travel in a vacuum.
Getting started
Work in groups to discuss the answers to these questions.
1. Give two examples of things that make very loud sounds.
2. Give two examples of things that make very quiet sounds.
3. Give two examples og high-pitched sounds.
4. Give two examples of low-pitched sounds.
Keywords
backwards and forwards - To move first in one direction and then in the
opposite direction, again and again.
loudness - The strength or weakness of a sound, shouting has more loudness
than whispering.
medium - The substance that waves move through.
particles - Very small pieces of matter that make up everything.
pitch - The highness or lowness of a sound on a musical scale.
sound wave - The movements that transfer sound through air or water.
speed of sound - The speed of sound waves through the air, around 340m/s.
What is Sound?
is s o m e t h in g w e
Sound It can be soft like a whisper or
hear with our ears. loud like a firework.
When someone speaks, plays
music, or when something
falls, it makes sound.
Have you ever
wondered how sound
is created?
C re a ted w he n
Sound is hakes
ib ra te s or s
something v Sound wave
really fast.
vibrations
Stings on
a violin
Vibrations travel through the a
ir
or other materials to our ears,
where they are heard as sound
.
The cause of the vibration
leads to the effect of sound
Things that vibrate make sounds. To vibrate means to
move backwards and forwards very quickly.
Not all sounds are the same.
Sounds can vary in both loudness and pitch.
Thunder makes a sound with a low pitch.
A baby crying makes a sound with a high pitch.
Let's explore a few materials that can make
sound when they vibrate:
Drums Guitar Bell
When you hit a
drum with a stick, When you pluck When you shake
it vibrates, and we the strings of a a bell, it vibrates,
hear the sound it guitar, they vibrate and the sound
makes. and produce rings out.
sound.
Cause: hitting the drum. Cause: plucking the Cause: shaking the bell.
Effect: the drum sound. guitar string Effect: the bell ringing sound.
Effect: the guitar sound.
Materials that don't make sound...
Rubber Band Clay
Stretching a rubber band does Squishing clay does not
not produce sound waves, as produce sound waves, as it
the vibrations are not strong deforms or changes shape,
enough to create sound waves but does not vibrate enough
that can be heard. to produce sound waves.
Cause: Stretching a Rubber Band Cause: Squishing Clay
Effect: No Sound Effect: No Sound
Sound waves
Sound travels from a vibrating object to our ears. This is called a sound wave.
Sound waves on the move
Sound waves travel by making particles vibrate.
Sound will travel though anything that has particles: gas, liquid,
solid.
Sound waves move the same way in gases, liquids and solids. The
sound wave makes the particles vibrate backwards and forwards.
The substance that the sound wave moves through is called the
medium. Therefore, solids, liquids and gases can all be a medium
for sound.
Summary
Sound makes material vibrate by creating fast back-and-forth
movements. These vibrations then travel through the air to reach
our ears and produce what we perceive as sound.
Sound and vibrating materials
work together to create the
sounds we hear every day!
Reflections of sound
