Close your eyes for a moment. What sounds can you hear in our classroom right now?
Today we find out what a sound actually is, and how we can make one higher, lower, louder or quieter on purpose.
When something wobbles fast enough for our ears to pick it up, we hear a sound. Scientists call that wobble a vibration.
Pitch is how high or low a sound is. Volume is how loud or quiet it is.
Think about the elastic band on the box we just heard. What could we change on that band to make the note higher or louder?
Our questions today: What can we change to make a sound higher or lower? What can we change to make it louder or quieter?
On your Investigation Journal page, finish these two stems:
- If less of the ruler hangs over the edge, the twang will be ___ because…
- If I pluck the same band harder, ___ will change because…
In your group, try the rubber-band guitar and the ruler twang.
Pick one change only each time: how tight the band is, or how much of the ruler hangs over the edge, or how hard you pluck or twang. Then listen and look. Can you see or feel the vibration?
When you hear the freeze signal, stop and listen only — no plucking until the teacher says go again.
Hands off for a moment. We will run two clean tests only.
Test A — pitch: use the ruler. Change only how much hangs over the edge. Keep the flick the same. Your group chooses the two overhang lengths to compare (for example about 10 cm and about 20 cm). Listen for higher or lower. After the two lengths, jot one line: what you changed and what you heard or felt.
Test B — volume: use one elastic band. Keep tightness the same. Change only how hard you pluck. Your group chooses the order: gentle then harder, or harder then gentler. Listen for louder or quieter. Jot one line again.
Watch or feel the vibration as well as listening. Freeze signal still applies between trials.
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