1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Place 5 marbles along the groove in the ruler as
shown on your handout.
Now take a 6th marble and flick it against the end of
the row.
Draw what happens.
Describe what happens using complete sentences.
Why did this happen? Make sure you are using the
correct science vocabulary words.
 Sound is a type of energy
 This movement, as energy
made by vibrations.
 When an object vibrates, it
cause movement in the air
particles.
 These particles bump into
the particles close to them,
which causes them to
vibrate too.
 This causes them to bump
into more air molecules
is passed from one
molecule to another is
called sound waves.
 If your ear is within range
of the vibrations, you hear
the sound.
 Sound needs a
medium to travel
 Sound is a mechanical
wave and needs a
medium for propagation
or transmission.
 Sound travels through
solids, liquids and gases.
 Sound does not travel
in vacuum.
Vibrations create sound.
Vibrations are created from
molecules moving back and
forth.
 Pitch-the highness or
lowness of a sound
 Sound- a series of
vibrations that you can
hear
 Intensity-the measurable
amount of a property,
such as force, brightness,
or a magnetic field.
 Amplitude-the distance
from crest to rest, trough
to rest position of the
wave. (VOLUME)
 Vibration- the back and
forth movement of a
molecule
 vocal chords- are part of
your throat that vibrates
when you speak
 Echo- a sound reflection
 Compressions are the
Rarefactions are the regions
regions of high pressure of low pressure and density
and density where the
where the particles are spread
particles are crowded and
out and are represented by the
are represented by the upper
lower portion of the curve called
portion of the curve called
trough.
crest.
1. Stretch the thin long rubber band between your
hands as shown in the diagram.
2. Have your partner pluck the center of the
rubber band. What do you hear?
3. Now repeat this with the thick rubber band.
What do you notice is the difference in sound?
4. What is the medium?
The higher the amplitude the louder the sound.
The lower the amplitude the softer the sound.
HIGH amplitude is LOUD
low AMPLITUDE is quiet
The higher the frequency , the higher the pitch.
The lower the frequency, the lower the pitch.
High Pitch
Low Pitch
Low Pitch
High Pitch
1. Place a ruler on the counter so that about half
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
of the ruler sticks out beyond the counter’s
edge.
Hold the ruler down firmly with one hand.
With the other hand, press down on the free
end of the ruler, then snap up.
Did you see the ruler vibrate?
Did it make a sound?
What is the medium?
Move the ruler so that les is hanging off the
edge. How does the sound change?
 Sound needs a
medium to travel
 Sound is a
mechanical wave
and needs a
medium for
transmission.
 Sound travels
through solids,
liquids and gases.
 Sound does not
travel in vacuum.
 Listen carefully as you
tap your finger firmly
and loudly against the
table/ counter.
 Now lay your ear on the
table/ counter, and tap
your finger loudly and
firmly again.
Questions to think about!
1. Which time did you hear
the sound of your
tapping finger the
loudest?
2. Based on this
experiment, does sound
travel better through
solid materials (table) or
gas materials (air)?
 Sound waves’ vibrations
are parallel to the
movement of the wave.
 Sound travels faster
through solids.
 Sound waves travel in all
directions but sound
waves travel fastest in a
solid.
1.
2.
3.
Solid
Liquid
Gas
 These vibrations are parallel to
the movement of the wave
Gases
Most of the sounds
we hear travel
through gases, such
as air.
Sound waves travel
slowly through the
air.
For example: Sound
from a bell, a horn,
or an alarm clock
travels through the
air.
Liquids
Solids
Some sounds that
we hear travel
through water.
Some sounds that
we hear travel
through solids.
Sound waves travel
a faster through
water than through
the air.
Sound waves travel
very fast through
solids.
Sonar is the way to
use sounds to locate
objects under
water.
What animals use
sonar?
For example: When
you hit a drum, it
vibrates, then the
sound travels
through the air, to
your ears.
 The outer ear, pinna,
catches the wave
 This is the part of the ear
that people can see.
 The main job of the outer
ear is to collect sounds,
whether they're your
friend's whispers or a
barking dog.
 It's what people pierce to
wear earrings and what
your friend whispers into
when it's time for a secret.
 The outer ear also includes
the ear canal, where wax is
produced.
 Earwax is that gunky stuff
that protects the canal
from bacteria and dirt to
keep the ear canal clean.
 After sound waves enter
the outer ear, they travel
through the ear canal and
make their way to the
middle ear.
 The middle ear's main job
is to take those sound
waves and turn them into
vibrations that are
delivered to the inner ear.
 To do this, it needs the
eardrum, which is a thin
piece of skin stretched
tight like a drum.
 The eardrum separates the
outer ear from the middle
ear and the ossicles
 Ossicles are the three
tiniest, most delicate bones
in your body:
 Malleus- attached to the
eardrum
 Incus- is attached to the
malleus
 Stapes -the smallest bone
in the body, which is
attached to the incus
 When sound waves reach
the eardrum, they cause
the eardrum to vibrate.
 When the eardrum
vibrates, it moves the
tiny ossicles — from the
hammer to the anvil and
then to the stirrup.
 These bones help sound
move along on its
journey into the inner
ear.
 Sound comes into the
 The cochlea is also lined
inner ear as vibrations and
enters the cochlea
 Cochlea- a small, curled
tube in the inner ear.
 The cochlea is filled with
liquid, which is set into
motion, like a wave, when
the ossicles vibrate.
with tiny cells covered in
tiny hairs that are so small
you would need a
microscope to see them.
 When sound reaches the
cochlea, the vibrations
(sound) cause the hairs on
the cells to move, creating
nerve signals that the brain
understands as sound.
 The brain puts it together
and hooray! You hear your
favorite song on the radio.
Human hearing is limited
to a range of sounds.
Humans cannot hear
sounds that vibrate:
•too fast (pitch is too high)
•too slow (pitch is too low)
•too large (volume is too loud)
•too small (volume is too soft)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Exposure to loud noise.
Head trauma.
Virus or disease.
Autoimmune inner ear disease.
Hearing loss that runs in the family.
Aging Malformation of the inner ear.
 We use our vocal cords to
make sounds in our throat.
 When we speak, our vocal
cords vibrate.
 Place your hand on your throat
when you talk, and you can
feel the vocal cords vibrate.
 Voice Misuse/ Overuse-excessive
talking and screaming
 Throat Cancer
 Laryngitis
1. What did you observe?
2. What is the medium?
3. Was a sound created?
4. What did you hear?
5. What did you see?
6. What appeared to be
vibrating?
Review




Sound waves are sent.
The outer ear “catches the sound waves”.
The middle ear takes the sound waves and “vibrates”
the eardrum.
The inner ear sends the messages to the brain.
Middle Ear
Outer Ear
Sound Waves

Inner Ear
The brain puts it together and hooray! You hear your
favorite song on the radio.