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Students construct an apparatus to make sound using plastic cups, string, and hangers and
investigate what is required to experience sound. Students will use the string to understand the
relationship between the length of the string and the frequency of the sound.
Prior to this lesson students should have a basic understanding that energy can be carried
from one place to another by sound waves.
Classroom Set Up
Students should work in groups of two or three to construct and experiment with their
Soundinator.
Lesson Description
Introduction
Lead students in a discussion of their different experiences with sound by asking:
What experiences or situations have you been in when sound was different than normal?
Have you ever heard sounds under water? How is that different than hearing sounds in
the air?
When students have had an opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge about
sound, tell them:
Today we will determine the necessary components to experience sound and we will be
constructing a device with those components to experiment with.
Version 1 Version 2
1. Each pair needs a cup, a piece of string, a paper clip, and a 1. Each pair needs a cup, a piece of
metal hanger. string and a metal hanger.
2. Tie one end of the string to the paper clip. 2. Tie the metal hanger to the string.
3. Thread the other end of the string through the hole punched 3. Hold the string up to your ear and
in the cup so that the paper clip is inside of the cup with the press against the bone outside your
string coming out through the bottom of the cup. ear.
4. Tie the metal hanger to the string or simply hang it over the 4. Tap the hanger while holding the
string while holding the other end of the string. string to your ear.
5. Two students may listen at the same time if a second cup is
connected to the other end of the string as shown.
6. Tap the hanger and listen!
Note: the hanger does not need to be cut/bent as shown in the picture above. It could be a complete hanger
connected to two cups. Be sure to use a metal hanger (not plastic or one with a cardboard cover).
Have students hold the cup so that the hanger is dangling from the cup in mid-air. Next,
tap the hanger and observe what kinds of sound they hear, including whether the sound is
loud or soft.
Next, the listener should stand up and hold the cup to their ear so that the string and
hanger may hang freely without touching anything. The producer will then produce
sound by gently tapping the hanger with their pencil on different places. The listener
should not tell the producer what they hear. Students should switch roles after some time.
After both students have had a chance to the listener, have them remove the cup and hold
the string with the hanger attached to their ear or jawbone. The producer should gently
tap the hanger. Students should switch roles so both get a chance to listen.
What parts of your Soundinator help you to experience sounds when you are the listener?
What was the purpose of the cup (if using version 1)?
Do you need all the different parts of the Soundinator to experience sounds?
You need a vibrating source, a medium, and a receiver to experience sound. Can you
identify these components as parts of your Soundinator?
When students have identified the three components necessary for experiencing sound,
and are experiencing sounds with the string, ask the following key questions:
Did it sound different if you hit different parts of the hanger?
Do you think it would sound differently if you had a short piece of string versus a long
piece of string?
Do you think it would sound differently if you had a smaller or larger hanger, or only
part of the hanger?
Students should recognize that the size of the hanger makes a difference in terms of what
they hear. The vibrating hanger is the source. (If students have not figured this out,
encourage them to try listening to a whole hanger versus a hanger piece that has been cut
off. You will need wire cutters to do this investigation.)
Students should recognize that the length of string does not make a difference in terms of
what they hear. The string is the medium that carries or transmits the wave.
Independent Practice
After students have had the opportunity to use the Soundinator and have verbally
identified the vibrating source, medium and receiver components, instruct them to create
a drawing of the Soundinator. Students should label their drawing with the components
of the device and their functions (students will need to also draw a receiver, their ear, but
might need explicit direction to do so).
Sound Bite:
Have students slide a straw over a pencil or wooden dowel and place one end on a wall or
table. Ask students to bite on the pencil or dowel while plugging their ears and observe
what they hear without using their ears. (The straw is for sanitary purposes, it is not a
required element.)
http://www.exploratorium.edu/listen/activities/lisa/bone_conduction/listen_sound_bite.pdf
Straw Kazoo:
Visit one of the websites below to get directions on how to make a kazoo from a straw.
The pitch of the kazoo will change as the length of the straw changes. The straw is
vibrating as the students blow through it. If the straw is cut the length of straw which
vibrates is shorter. A shorter wavelength means higher frequency or pitch. You can see
(and hear) the kazoo in action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z15l5gLnfo4.
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/strawkazoo.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Straw-Kazoo