This week, Mr. Wilson’s 4th class took a deep dive into the science of how sound travels. The students learned that sound is created by vibrations, and these vibrations travel through different materials in the form of sound waves. These waves move through the air, liquids, and solids, but at different speeds.
To bring this concept to life, the class created their very own tin can phones! By connecting two tin cans with a string, the girls were able to send sound waves from one can to the other. Here’s how it worked:
- When one person spoke into the can, their voice created vibrations in the bottom of the can.
- These vibrations traveled along the taut string in the form of longitudinal waves (waves that move in the same direction as the vibration).
- The vibrations reached the other can, where they made the bottom of the second can vibrate, allowing the listener to hear the sound.
The class discovered that the string needs to be tight for the sound waves to travel efficiently, and they explored how different materials and string lengths can affect sound transmission. They also learned that sound waves travel faster through solids (like the string) than through air because the particles in solids are closer together.
Of course, we had to finish the lesson by beautifying our creations! The girls added paint to truly create unique creations!
