1. Fall 2016
Sound notes

2. What is sound?
Sound consists of longitudinal or compression waves that move through air or other mediums.

3. Draw a Longitudinal Wave!
Left to Right

4. Sound = Longitudinal

5. When a drummer hits a cymbal, it shakes and vibrates
When a drummer hits a cymbal, it shakes and vibrates. It has kinetic energy.
A fast moving object has more kinetic energy than an otherwise identical slow moving object.
Draw a picture of a sound wave moving from a cymbal to a person’s ear.

6. Drawing:
AIR PARTICLES

7. Fill in the Blanks
KINETIC
The _____________ energy of the vibrating ____________ passes to the air molecules. The energy in the air spreads out and is detected by your _____________ as ______________.
CYMBAL
EAR
SOUND

8. What is a medium? Any substance like AIR, WATER or STEEL.
(GAS, LIQUID, OR SOLID)
Do you think that sound waves would travel faster in water or pancake syrup? Why?

9. Lab Activity #1:
Touch side of your throat and say “ahh”.

10. Make your OBSERVATIONS!
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What is the medium?
What happens to the medium when the sound wave travels through it?

11. Lab Activity #2:
Strike the tuning fork on the sole of your shoe and bring it close to the ping pong ball on the string.

12. Comparison of Sound vs Light

13. Make your OBSERVATIONS!
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What is the medium?
What happens to the medium when the sound wave travels through it?

14. Sound cannot travel in a vacuum, like space. Why not?
Answer this question in 2-3 complete sentences.

15. Review
Questions!

16. 1. You go to a coffee shop and listen to a guy play guitar
1. You go to a coffee shop and listen to a guy play guitar. Draw a picture illustrating why you hear the music.

17. 2. Explain your picture. (Make sure the use the words: kinetic energy, air, vibrate, particles, ear, guitar, music, longitudinal wave, sound energy.
When the guy plays the guitar the _________ energy of the strings transfers energy to the _____________as ____________energy causing them to move in a ____________ wave. The longitudinal wave continues all the way to my ___________, where it _________ the ear hairs inside and my brain registers the vibrations as music.

18. 3. What do sound waves need to exist?

19. 4. What is the difference between a high sound and a low sound?

20. Answers!

21. 1. You go to a coffee shop and listen to a guy play guitar
1. You go to a coffee shop and listen to a guy play guitar. Draw a picture illustrating why you hear the music.
AIR PARTICLES

22. 2. Explain your picture.
When the guy plays the guitar the kinetic energy of the strings transfers energy to the air particles as sound energy causing them to move in a longitudinal wave. The longitudinal wave continues all the way to my ear, where it vibrates the ear hairs inside and my brain registers the vibrations as music.

23. 3. What do sound waves need to exist?
Sounds waves require a medium or particles.
The medium can be a gas, liquid or solid.

24. 4. What is the difference between a high sound and a low sound?
The faster the sound wave, the higher the sound. The slower the sound wave, the lower the sound.
The speed of the wave determines the pitch of the sound.