The Science of Sound

Ever wondered how you might hear the sounds of your favourite music, friends laughing, or birds chirping? In this article we're going to take a look into the world of vibrations, waves, and the science behind sound today.

What is Sound?

Sound is a type of energy that flows in waves through the air, water, or even solid objects. These waves move sounds from one location to another like messengers. Something that creates noise moves the air particles around it by producing vibrations. We can tell the difference between different sounds because our ears are able to detect the waves produced by these moving particles.

How Do Our Ears Work?

Let's now talk about our ears! Tiny hair cells and special parts known as eardrums are found inside our ears. The eardrums vibrate as sound waves enter our ears. The hair cells then turn these vibrations into electrical messages. The signals are processed by our brain to produce the sounds we are familiar with, such as music!

Fun Fact: Animal Sounds

Echolocation is the ability that allows certain animals, like dolphins and bats, to locate food by using sound waves as a tool for navigation. Elephants are able to communicate using infrasound, which is a low frequency sound that is invisible to human hearing.

The science of sound is so interesting! Sound affects everything around us, from beautiful songs to the buzzing of living things, bringing rhythm and harmony into our existence. Keep your ears open and you will hear the world's beautiful melody!

Fun activities to do at home:

Build a Shaker Sound:

Add Rice or tiny beans to an empty container. Tightly shut the lid and give it a little shake. Pay attention to the various noises it produces. Try switching up the materials and amounts to see any differences in the sound.

Make Your Own String Telephone: 

Connect two cups together with a tightly pulled string. While you listen with one cup, have a friend talk into the other. See how your friend's voice comes through the string when vibrations flow across it.

Until the next time, always be keen and keep discovering!

Resources:

“7 Cool Sound Science Experiments for Kids: Article.” Kids Academy, KidsAcademy.mobi, 10 Oct. 2023, www.kidsacademy.mobi/storytime/sound-science-experiments/.

“How Do We Hear?” National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/how-do-we-hear#:~:text=Sound%20waves%20enter%20the%20outer,malleus%2C%20incus%2C%20and%20stapes. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.