SOUND EXPLORATIONS

INVESTIGATION 1: COATHANGER CHIMES

You will need:

  • A wire coathanger
  • A piece of cotton thread approximately 1 m long

Instructions

  1. Tie the middle of the piece of cotton thread to the hook of the coathanger.
  2. Hold the coathanger chimes by the cotton thread so that you can place your hands on your ears and the coathanger can swing freely.
  3. Let the coathanger strike something solid.

SOUND EXPLORATIONS

INVESTIGATION 2: STRING TELEPHONE

You will need:

  • 2tin cans with one end removed from each can [be careful there are no sharp edges]
  • a piece of string approximately 8 m long
  • strips of tissue paper

Instructions

  1. Carefully make a small hole through the bottom of each tin. Thread the string through each hole from the base and tie off so the string is secured within each tin.
  2. Hold one tin of the string telephone near your mouth and have a partner hold the other near their ear. Stand apart so the string is taut.
  3. Speak into the tin and note whether your partner can hear you. Reverse roles and hold a conversation over your string telephone.

SOUND EXPLORATIONS

INVESTIGATION 3: TUNING FORKS

You will need:

  • tuning fork
  • balloon

open container of water

Instructions

  1. Hold the tuning fork by the base and strike it firmly on a solid object.
  2. Record your observations.
  3. Experiment by placing the vibrating tuning fork on various objects, such as a desk or blackboard and the inflated balloon.
  4. Place one of the vibrating tines so it just touches the surface of some water.

SOUND EXPLORATIONS

INVESTIGATION 4: SPEED OF SOUND

You will need:

  • starter pistol
  • stopwatches

Instructions

  1. One person stands 100m (or further) away on the oval. This person fires the starter pistol.
  2. Record the time between seeing the smoke and hearing the noise from the starter pistol.

3. Repeat the measurement several times and calculate an average time for any distance.

SOUND EXPLORATIONS

INVESTIGATION 5: SLINKY SPRING

You will need:

  • slinky spring

Instructions

  1. Two people hold the slinky spring stretched out along the ground.
  2. One person acts as a “fixed end” and keeps one end of the spring still.
  3. The other person sends down a longitudinal wave by quickly moving that end of the spring back and forth in the direction of the spring. (Moving the end sideways would create a transverse wave.)

From Module: Obtaining and using energy efficiently from the Queensland School Curriculum Council