Help your teens understand the science of sound with these DIY activities
Pitch, frequency and amplification of sounds are important concepts in Physics. They help us understand the science behind sound waves. Yet, middle and high schoolers often get confused between these terms. The pitch of a sound describes how high or low it is. It is determined by how quickly or slowly a thing vibrates. On the other hand, the number of waves that pass through a particular point in a given amount of time is referred to as frequency. If your teenager has been facing trouble making sense of these concepts, we’ve got two cool STEM experiments to help them figure this out in a simple and easy manner. Read below to know about the experiments, materials required and their outcome.
Rubber band experiment
Teens will learn about frequency and pitch by plucking different lengths of stretched rubber bands in this experiment.
What you’ll need
- 3 plastic cups
- 3 geoboards
- Rubber bands
How-to
Get these on a table, call your child, and start the experiment. Here’s a step-by-step description for your little learner to follow:
- Take 3 small plastic cups.
- Stretch a different sized rubber band over each cup.
- Pluck each rubber band and listen to the different pitches based on how taut the rubber band is across the cup.
OR
- String a rubber band on the geoboard in a shape with unequal edges.
- Pluck one side of the shape of the rubber band at a time, paying attention to the sound it makes.
What is happening in this experiment?
Rubber bands, like the strings of a piano, produce a variety of sounds. Various lengths, widths, and tautness of strings vibrate at different frequencies. As a result, the pitch changes as the length and tightness of each string or rubber band changes. Also, a long rubber band makes a low, long, heavy sound and vibrates at a slower rate of frequency whereas rubber bands with shorter lengths produce a high, short sound and vibrate at a faster rate or frequency.
Styrofoam Experiment
Children will be acquainted with the idea of sound amplification through this easy activity.
What you’ll need
- 1 styrofoam cup
- Slinky spring
How-to
Get these on a table, call your child, and start the experiment. Here’s a step-by-step description of the experiment:
- Push the bottom of the styrofoam cup as far as it will go into the slinky spring.
- Bring the cup's open end up to your teen’s ear.
- Stretch the slinky spring out and move it up and down gently.
- Ask your teen to notice how much louder the sound is as it moves through the cup.
What is happening in this experiment?
The sound is funneled through the styrofoam cup's circular cylindrical shape, and it is comprised of a lightweight material that effectively channels sound waves. The sound of the metal coil moving is dramatically increased when you set the slinky spring on the bottom of the cup, move it, and hold the cup up to your child's ear.