Sounds Come From Shaking
- Physics
- Ages 6–8 · Grades 1–2
- Hands-on experiment
What you’ll find out
- Sounds are made by things that vibrate, or shake back and forth very fast.
- When the shaking stops, the sound stops.
- Sound can make other things vibrate.
No sign-up and no real names. In the lesson you check your understanding as you read, run the experiment yourself, and practise until it sticks.
Shaking makes sound
Put some rice on a drum and tap it. The rice jumps up and down, because the drum skin is shaking. That fast shaking is called a vibration, and it makes the sound. Pluck a rubber band and it shakes so fast it looks blurry, and you hear a twang. Put your fingers on your throat and hum. You can feel your throat vibrate.
Stop the shaking, stop the sound
Hit a bell and it rings. Now grab the bell with your hand. The sound stops at once! Your hand stopped the bell from shaking. When the vibration stops, the sound stops. Sound can make other things vibrate, too. A loud drum can make a window buzz, and a big truck can make the floor hum.
Curriculum links: NGSS 1-PS4-1