Bounce a Sound
By: Jessica Vaughn & Tonya Estep
Materials: Ticking watch, two cardboard tubes, plate, cork mat, and four books.
Step 1: Build two piles of books, both the same height and lay one tube on each of the piles of books. Place the ticking watch at the end of one of the tubes.
Step 2: Listen at the end of the other tube. You cannot hear the watch ticking!
Step 3: Hold the plate near the ends of the tubes and listen at the other end. Now you can hear the watch ticking.
Step 4: Try holding the cork mat near the ends of the tubes instead of the plate and listen at the other end. Now you cannot hear the watch ticking anymore!
Sound waves travel down the tube. When a plate is placed at the end of the tubes, the sound bounces off of the hard plate and travels up the second tube to your ears. However, when you place the soft cork in the same location, it soaks up the sound waves, making it harder to hear the ticking watch.
Standards
GLE 0307.11.2 Use a variety of materials to produce sounds of different pitch and volume.
GLE 0307.Inq.2 Select and use appropriate tools and simple equipment to conduct an investigation.
Related Science Project Links
Andrea Dalton's Project- See Some Sound
LaToya Keaton's Project- How the Ear Works
Below is the mini lesson and worksheet for this lesson
