Names: __________________, __________________ Period:___ Date:__/__/____

String Telephone Lab

Goal: Figure out how the heck cell phone signals work by modeling it with a smaller
scale, easier to make, and cheaper cup-string telephone. Students will be working in pairs
to complete this lab. Make sure to help each other out in completing the worksheet!

Materials: 2 cups, a long string (yarn, thin rope, etc.), scissors, toothpick (or sharp
object), tape.

Procedures:
1) Obtain 2 styrofoam cups (only 2 for each pair), a yarn string of length ~5 meters (16
ft), and a pencil to poke through cups.
2) Poke a small hole through both of the styrofoam cups using a pencil.
3) Thread the string through the hole of one cup from the outside and tie a knot in
the inside of the cup. (Tie the knot at least 3 times so the string doesn’t get pulled
out)
4) Thread the same string through the other cup, tie a knot in the other cup as well!
5) Put a piece of tape inside each of the cups so your string doesn’t fly out when you
pull too tight!
6) Your final string-telephone apparatus should look like this:

7) Try it out! Have your partner speak (try whispering, too!) on one end and see if you
can hear it by placing the cup next to your ear. (Don’t say inappropriate stuff <_<)
8) Rate the quality of the sound on a scale of 0-10 based on your perception, with 10
being the best (like normal speaking) and 0 being you can’t hear anything.
9) Switch roles with your partner so they get a chance to speak/listen!
10) You will be testing out two variables: length and tautness of string:
i) Starting with the original length of the string (~4m), then cut off ⅓ of it, then
finally another ⅓ of what was left.
ii) Starting with string pulled tight, then slightly slack, and drooping to the
ground.
11) Lastly, have another pair of students join you and tangle the strings, record the
rating of what you hear from your partner and whether you can eavesdrop on the
other pair!
12) Create a scientific model of how you think your voice is being transmitted to your
partner in each of the scenarios.
Names: __________________, __________________ Period:___ Date:__/__/____

Data and Results:

Variable 1: Tautness of string (for just ONE length!)
● Hypothesis:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Tautness Level Partner 1’s Partner 2’s Diagram of Transmission (be sure to
of String Rating Rating illustrate how taut the string is and how
(0-10) (0-10) sound waves travel)

Completely taut

With some slack

String touching
the floor

1) How does the different tautness of the string change the quality of the
transmitted sound? Be as specific as possible and use scientific words you’ve
learned! (Hint: Think about how the medium changed!)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2) Why do you think changing the tautness causes such a difference in sound quality,
if any? Explain your reasoning. Use the physics vocabulary you’ve learned
(medium, energy, dissipation, etc.)!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Names: __________________, __________________ Period:___ Date:__/__/____

_____________________________________________________________________________________

3) Do you think this can help explain the interruptions to cell phone signals? Why or
why not? (How does string “tautness” relate to the travel of cell phone signals?)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Variable 2: Length of string (make sure it’s TAUT for all these lengths!)
● Hypothesis: If I ___________ (increase/decrease) the length of the string, I would
experience a __________ (better/worse) quality of call because __________________
_______________________________________________________________ (your prediction).

Length Partner 1’s Partner 2’s Diagram of Transmission (illustrate how sound
(include Rating Rating waves travel along string from one end to the
units!) (0-10) (0-10) other)

15 meters

(full length)

(try ⅓ of the
full length!)

(any length
you like!)

4) How does the different length of the string change the quality of the transmitted
sound? Be as specific as possible and use vocab words you’ve learned (medium,
energy, dissipation, etc.)!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Names: __________________, __________________ Period:___ Date:__/__/____

5) Why do you think changing the length causes such a difference in sound quality, if
any? Explain your reasoning. (Hint: Think about how the medium changed!)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

6) Do you think this can help explain the interruptions to cell phone signals? Why or
why not? (How does string “length” relate to the travel of cell phone signals?)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Variable 3: Tanglement of string (make sure string is taut here too!)

● Hypothesis:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Tanglement of Partner 1’s Partner 2’s Diagram of Transmission (be sure to describe
String Rating Rating how you tangled the string; eg. twisted 5
(0-10) (0-10) times and pulled taut)

Untangled

Tangled with
another pair

7) How does tangling the string change the quality of the transmitted sound? Be as
specific as possible and use scientific words you’ve learned!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Names: __________________, __________________ Period:___ Date:__/__/____

8) Why do you think tangling the string causes such a difference in sound quality, if
any? Explain your reasoning. (Hint: Think about how the medium changed!)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

9) Do you think this can help explain the interruptions to cell phone signals? Why or
why not? (How does string being “tangled” relate to the travel of cell phone
signals?)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Discussion:
10) Were your hypotheses correct? Did any of the results surprise you? How so?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

11) Using your findings from the lab (changing length, tautness and how it affects
signals), how can you describe potential causes of interruptions to cell phone
signals with string-cup telephones in mind? Feel free to draw and describe it in
words.

Caller Interruptions Receiver

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Names: __________________, __________________ Period:___ Date:__/__/____

_____________________________________________________________________________________
12) How are mechanical sound waves in string-cup telephones and electromagnetic
(EM) waves in cell phone signals similar and different?

Mechanical Sound Waves (String Electromagnetic Waves (Cell Phones

Telephones) Signals)

Differences

Similarities

13) What are some advantages of using EM waves to communicate instead of

physical sound waves? Are there disadvantages?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

14) What are some ways we can improve cell phone signals?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________