Sound comes from vibrations — Science, 4–6 years
Sound begins when something shakes quickly and makes the air around it move. Our ears notice this moving air as sound.
Idea
When a drum is hit, its skin shakes very fast. That shaking pushes the air, and the moving air reaches our ears. A sound can be loud or quiet, high or low, but it begins with a vibration.
Why it matters
People wanted to understand why a drum, a voice and a bell can all be heard. Looking for what they had in common showed that each one makes something vibrate. This helps us make sounds, change them and stop them.
Try it
Stretch a rubber band around a box. Pluck it once: you can see it shaking and hear a twang. Put one finger gently on it; the shaking stops and so does the sound. Your finger took away the vibration.
A common mix-up
It is easy to think that a sound is a thing sitting inside a drum or a speaker. We cannot see sound moving, so that idea feels natural. Actually, the drum or speaker vibrates and sends moving air towards our ears.
Outside school
Musical instruments use vibrating strings, skins or air to make notes. Your voice works when air makes parts in your throat vibrate. A phone changes vibrations into signals, then changes them back so another person can hear you.
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