THE ENERGY OF SOUND

Sound is energy that travels in the form of waves away from a vibrating object.

What is Sound?

Sound waves travel through all three states of matter.

Can you identify the three states of matter in this picture?

Sound Travels

Sound travels through the air.

Gas

Sound travels through liquids, such as water.

To hear whales songs underwater click here

Liquid

Sound travels through solids such as a floor, or dock.

Solids

Sound cannot travel through a vacuum, which has no matter.

This includes space because there is no

matterin space.

Sound CANNOT Travel in Space

Sound is a form of energy that travels in waves.

These waves are called “compression waves.”

Sound Waves

Sound Waves

Video: How is Sound Made?

Explore the Sound Waves

Explore the Sound Waves

A scientist puts a bell inside a sealed glass jar. She makes the bell vibrate. Then, she sucks all the air out of the jar with a vacuum pump. She makes the bell vibrate again. Describe what the scientist probably heard when she made the bell vibrate each time. Explain your answer.

Let’s Experiment

The highness or lowness of a sound is known as the pitch.

Pitch

High Pitch

A high pitch has a high frequency. It has many ‘peaks’ in the wave.

A low pitch has a low frequency. It has few‘peaks’ in the wave.

To learn more about pitch click here

Low Pitch

Science and Technology > 3.1.4.C.1 Identify Observable Patterns

Science and Technology > 3.2.4.B.1 Recognize observable descriptors from each of the five senses

Science and Technology > 3.4.4.C.1 Identify characteristics of sound

For more on the PA Standards click here

Pennsylvania State Standards