Episode 39 – What’s That Sound?

First, you will need to download the What’s That Sound lab manual.

In episode 36, we discussed how our ears hear sound! Now, let’s explore how sound travels to our ears and to the ears of others.

Sound travels in waves, and that wave needs a medium to travel through. A medium is a substance like air or water which waves travel through. Frequency, or pitch, is how “wavy” the sound wave is, or, how many wave peaks there are. Similar to an ocean’s waves, sound has wave peaks. These peaks, and the length between them, determine what the sound sounds like.

This episode will explore how waves make sound by creating a noise maker that will help us visualize those waves!

Did you know humans can hear frequencies between 50Hz to 20KHz on average? You may think that is quite the large range. However, your pet dog has you beat as their range is between 40 Hz to 60,000 Hz! That is why they may hear your family member coming home even before you do.

Saskatchewan Curriculum Connections: SO4.2: Draw conclusions about the characteristics and physical properties of sound, including pitch and loudness, based on observation. FM5.1: Analyze the effects of gravitational, magnetic, and mechanical forces, including friction, on the movement of objects.