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Univ. Of Leicester: Amplitude of Vibrations and Loudness

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the ear drum receiving vibrations and how the amplitude of those vibrations translates into the loudness of the sound. Good diagrams to illustrate this concept.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: The Music Instinct: Good Vibrations! [Pdf]

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Using the program "The Music Instinct," available on the PBS website, learners will explore the nature of sound vibrations over two class periods.
Interactive
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Resonance Tube Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
This lab is designed to help students visualize the formation of standing waves in a wind instrument. Students will be able to view fundamental waves as well as some higher harmonics. They can work with a tube with two open ends or just...
Activity
Smithsonian Institution

Lemelson Center: Spark!lab: Invent a Musical Whirligig

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students can easily create a musical whirligig to study sound production. These instruments are constructed out of everyday materials and allows students to use their imagination to make music.
Interactive
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Doppler Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
This lab is designed to have students investigate the changes to wavelength and frequency that occur when the source of the waves is in motion. This video describes the lab: https://youtu.be/eCceYPBR6f4
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Now Hear This

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about high-pitch sounds that can be heard by children but not by adults. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in understanding cause and effect.
Activity
University of Maryland

Thinking Problems in Oscillations and Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
A series of thought-provoking, multichoice questions from the University of Maryland on the topic of oscillations and waves. Equations for calculating the period of motion for masses on springs, pendulums, sounds, and waves on a string...
Activity
Michigan Reach Out

Michigan Reach Out!: Making a Shoe Box Guitar

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This site provides an experiment where students create a guitar to discover what variables will change sound.
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Canada Science and Technology Museum

Canada Science and Technology Museum: Materials

For Students 1st - 5th
Test your skill and find out which materials absorb sound well.
Activity
Science Bob Pflugfelder

Science Bob: Make a Simple Duck Call!

For Students 3rd - 5th
Contains a procedure for using a plastic straw to create a device capable of producing a duck call when air is passed through. The site introduces the concept of vibration in sound production.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Surf's Up!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This lesson introduces the concepts of longitudinal and transverse waves. Students see several demonstrations of waves and characterize them by transverse and longitudinal behavior. This lesson also introduces the Sunken Treasure theme...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: The Sonic Boom Problem

For Students 9th - 10th
Objects that fly faster than the speed of sound create a shock wave accompanied by a thunder-like noise: the sonic boom. These epic sounds can cause distress to people and animals and even damage nearby buildings. Katerina Kaouri details...
Article
Creative Science Centre

Creative Science Centre: Mini Light Beam Receiver

For Students 9th - 10th
A very simple device to convert light into sound can be made by wiring a solar cell directly to headphones (or an earpiece). The solar cell converts light into electricity and the headphones convert electricity into sound. The limitation...
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Radiohead

For Students 9th - 10th
Try this experiment to see how sound transmits as vibrations through solid matter. You will use a toothbrush to listen to the radio.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Sound Review

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] How does sound travel and what parts of the ear detect sound best? Using multiple websites, students discover animals that make the loudest sounds, which tapped glass will create the highest pitch, what...
Website
MadSci Network

Mad Sci Network: Measuring the Speed of Sound

For Students 9th - 10th
Can you measure the speed of sound? Find out for yourself using this site's question and answer format.
Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: Dirtmeister's Science Lab: Good Vibrations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
An experiment that explores the relationship between vibrations and pitch. This site includes web links, a challenge question, and notes to the teacher.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Simple Instruments

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this activity, students work with partners to create four different instruments to investigate the frequency of the sounds they make. Students may chose to make a shoebox guitar, water glass xylophone, straw panpipe or a soda bottle...
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Science of Everyday Life: It's Too Loud! [Pdf]

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this lesson plan young scholars will experiment with ear protectors to investigate sound reduction. This lab has students collecting, analyzing, and organizing sound level data. Lesson plan includes instructions for teachers and young...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Calls of the Wild: Flies and Stereo

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Explore the characteristics of binaural hearing and discover how two ears are utilized in determining the direction of a sound's origin. Produce auditory illusions by reversing and extending the detection site for each ear.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Secret Bells

For Students 9th - 10th
An experiment demonstrating how sound vibrations transmit through metal.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Vocal Visualizer

For Students 9th - 10th
Create a vocalizer device out of PVC piping and, with the help of a laser pointer, use it to project a visualization of the sound vibrations you make with it.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Conversation Piece

For Students 9th - 10th
Did you know a balloon filled with carbon dioxide can act as an amplifier? In this activity test how sound travels through carbon dioxide molecules.
Article
Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College: Mqed: Computer Music

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The downloadable monograph investigates computer music. Topics included are the MIDI system, waves, synthesizers, coding, and computer music applications.

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