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What
You Need:
- empty
tube-shaped oatmeal box
- balloon
- scissors
- rubber
band
- tin
foil
- tape
or glue
- a
light source, such as a flashlight or small lamp
- a
sound partner
Question:
How can you see sound?
1.
First, carefully cut the bottom out of the oatmeal box.
2. Then,
cut the balloon into a shape that will cover one end of the
tube.
3. Now, make a drum by stretching the balloon tightly
across the end of the tube.
4. Use the rubber band to hold the balloon in place.
5.
Tape or
glue the foil to the center of the balloon drum. The foil
should be as shiny as possible so keep it as smooth as you
can.
6.
The sound partner makes some loud noises into the tube. At the
same time, the vision partner focuses the light source onto
the foil.
7.
Now, trade places. Be amazed that you can actually see sound!
A Scientific Explanation
All sound is caused by vibration. For instance, the vibration
of your vocal chords causes the sound of your voice. Touch
the center of your neck and say something. You can feel your
vocal chords vibrate. Sound vibrations travel through the
air as invisible waves. When you made noises into the tube
the waves bounced against the balloon. That's how you were
able to see sound!
EXTRA!
EXTRA!
Now that
you know vibrations cause sound, what are other ways you can
think of to see sound? Express your ideas with your own sound
and vision experiment!
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