Experiments with Sound

Damian Smith, 2008 Group Size: <30 Age: High School although younger stu ents coul ma!e use o" <"i#me$ %&uipment nee e : 'er group o" ( stu ents: one )uc!et, one A* sheet o" paper, some san +grit, -.o hose pipes /one short, one long0 /optional0 Se1eral stop2.atches, -.o pieces o" .oo /optional0, String+tape measure or something similar to measure the istances, Some means o" recor ing results, A )uzzer an )attery, tennis )all an string, 3ote: -he 4am)ian high2school sylla)us oes not seem to mention the Doppler e""ect, )ut oes e#pect "amiliarity .ith the i ea that soun is a .a1e,

Initial Discussion (3 minutes):

As! the stu ents .hat they !no. a)out soun , -ry to ra. out .or s li!e spee , .a1e, "re&uency, .a1elength, pitch, 1olume, amplitu e, As! the stu ents "or e"initions o" these .or s .atch out "or rehearse ans.ers try to get an alternati1e e#planation to ensure the meaning is un erstoo , 5n this mo ule, .e are going to 6see soun 7, measure its spee , an un erstan the Doppler e""ect,

Sound as a vibration (5 minutes).

%&uipment: 'er group o" ( stu ents: one )uc!et, one A* sheet o" paper, some san +grit, -.o hosepipes /one short, one long0 /optional0 Ho. o .e !no. that soun is a 1i)ration8 9e can o an e#periment to see this, Gi1e each group o" stu ents a )uc!et an a piece o" paper, :ne person shoul hol the )uc!et /open en up0, As! someone else to sprin!le some grit on the paper, an hol it a)o1e the )uc!et /not touching the plastic0, Another stu ent may tap the )ottom o" the )uc!et li!e a rum, As! the stu ents .hat they sa. help them to e#plain that the air is 1i)rating the paper, .hich causes the grit to )ounce, 5" a1aila)le, try )lo.ing the hosepipe )ugle /ma!e a rasp)erry noise o.n it0 ne#t to the grit /)e care"ul not to point the en at the grit it shoul )e clear that the 1i)rating air, not "lo.ing air, causes the mo1ement,

Speed of Sound (10 minutes)

%&uipment: Se1eral stop2.atches, -.o pieces o" .oo , String+tape measure or something similar to measure the istances, Something to recor results on, Does soun tra1el instantly8 Ho. o .e !no.8 Ho. "ast oes it go8 9e .ill no. measure the spee o" soun ; Stu ents stan a measure istance "rom a )uil ing that has a large, "lat uno)structe outsi e .all, -he istance can )e measure using a roll along e1ice use in athletics to lay out "oot)all "iel s, 5" one o" these is una1aila)le, a measuring tape can )e e#ten e to a "i#e length an shi"te repeate ly to "in the istance,, -he group o" stu ents stan s together, an one o" them is nominate to clap, Shortly a"ter the clap, an echo is hear as the soun tra1els to the .all an is re"lecte )ac!

to.ar the stu ents, 5" the istance to the .all is su""iciently large, the stu ent oing the clapping can try to synchronize her clapping .ith the echoes so that she is clapping at a regular "re&uency, -he perio )et.een each clap is the time "or the soun to ma!e a roun trip )et.een the clapping han s an the .all, Another stu ent measures the time "or, say, ele1en claps, -he spee o" soun is then calculate )y i1i ing t.ice the istance to the .all )y <+<0th the time "or the ten claps, 5" it is too i""icult to synchronize the clapping .ith the echos, try to "in the right rhythm such that the echo is hear e#actly )et.een t.o claps, -he spee .oul then )e calculate )y i1i ing * times the istance to the .all )y <+<0th the time "or ten claps, 5" no .all, it may )e possi)le to stan one stu ent a goo istance "rom the rest, an measure the time )et.een seeing the )loc!s meet, an hearing the clap, -his .ill re&uire multiple measurements to get any.here close, /%#pecte 1alue is 3*3 m+s at 20 eg =, 0> humi ity, = prop to s&rt -, = prop <+s&rt ensity,0 Alternati1e is to use ?un t@s -u)e a transparent tu)e uste .ith talc insi e, Ae&uires a plunger to )e mo1e in one en , an a tuning "or! hel at the other /!no.n "re&uency0, A Bust the plunger until 1olume increases, an clear no e+antino es are 1isi)le, -he separation .ill gi1e hal" the .a1elength, 5 ha1e not trie this an nee to thin! a)out .hat to use "or a tu)e, Cay)e a .ater )ottle, or more than one /tape together+slippe insi e one another,0 Aecap the "ormula c = f i" oing ?un tDs -u)e,

Doppler Effect (10 minutes)

%&uipment: A constant2pitch )uzzer an )attery, A tennis )all, Some plastic rulers an a har e ge, String, =lothes 'egs Eirst, emonstrate the Doppler e""ect in case anyone is un"amiliar .ith it, -o o this, s.ing a tennis )all .ith the )uzzer insi e it attache to the string, /A -ennis )all can )e attache )y piercing a small hole an pushing the string through .ith a pen+scre. ri1er, an then cutting a slot on the other si e so that pliers can )e use to pull the string through, -ie a )ig !not,0 9hat o the stu ents un erstan a)out .hy the pitch changes8 Aelate pitch to "re&uency Fse rulers o" i""erent lengths an ping them to get i""erent notes, 5t can )e seen that the "re&uency rises .ith pitch, Aecap the "ormula c = f %#plain that .e are going o per"orm a play: Ha1e a stu ent /Simon0 representing a soun source, an one representing the .a1e "ront /9ayne0, 5ntro uce them )oth to the group, 9ayne has a long piece o" string tie aroun his mi le, -he string is loosely hel )y Simon, 9ith the other stu ents clapping a slo. pace, 9ayne ta!es one step on each clap, /5,e, he is mo1ing at a constant 1elocity this is the spee o" soun ,0 :n e1ery other clap, Simon mar!s the string using clothes pegs, -his can )e ma e easier )y threa ing the string through a pen2)arrel an attaching se1eral clothes pegs to the pen )arrel, -he mar!s are )eing ma e at a "i#e "re&uency, :nce 9ayne has gone 30 paces, the e#periment is stoppe an the stu ents are in1ite to note the separation o" the mar!s, /5" a )oar is present, hol the string to the )oar an ra. a .a1e such that the pea!s match the positions o" the pegs,0 -hen the e#periment starts again, )ut this time, Simon mo1es in the irection o" the .a1e "ront, at hal" the spee o" soun , 5,e, one step e1ery t.o claps, He pro uces the same 6tone7 )y continuing to mar! the string on e1ery other clap /pro)a)ly the one .here he oesn@t mo1e,0, At the en o" this part o" the e#periment, the mar!s .ill )e closer together, /Fse the )oar again to highlight this0 -hin!: -his means that in the "irst e#ample, anyone stan ing along 9ayne@s path .oul see a mar! come past e1ery t.o claps, 3o., .ith the source /Simon0 mo1ing to.ar s them, the mar!s .ill come past closer together, -hin!: 9hat happens at spee o" soun 8 /5,e, .hen Simon "ollo.s 9ayne at the same spee ,0 -hin!: 9hat happens .hen Simon mo1es a.ay "rom 9ayne8

What use is this?

Gin! to astronomy light hu))le also gas temperatures gi1en )y spectral )roa ening, Spee cameras, Cust )e consi ere "or ra io communications e,g, cell2phone in a mo1ing car, -H signal through a satellite,

Credits to:
http:++...,.est,net+Iscience+soun ,htm http:++homepage,eircom,net+I!ogrange+soun Je#periments2,htmlKhy rophone http:++en,.i!ipe ia,org+.i!i+DopplerJe""ect