Sound travels in waves called sound waves.
Sound waves travel through particles, making them vibrate and collide with other particles. This bumping and vibrating continues, passing from particle to particle, carrying the sound through the air. So, it's the vibrations that carry the sound.
Sounds can travel through water, solids, air or anything that has particles for the sound vibrations to bounce off.
That's why there's no sound in space. For sound to travel it needs air molecules to vibrate. In deep space there's no air. We call this a vacuum.
You can muffle or reduce sound by using thick materials that absorb some of the sound waves. Materials like sponge or cardboard are good examples. They capture the sound waves and bounce them around within them, until the vibrations slow down and stop.
Well, Cara, is that working?
Cara! Hello, Cara!
Cara: I can't hear you!
Video summary
This short film explains how sound travels through air. We investigate how sound is transferred through materials and the role that molecules have in this process.
It builds on the concepts explored in the conductors and insulators film and relates these to the movement of molecules in the context of sound rather than temperature.
After investigating how sound travels, the film moves on to explore insulators and how these can shield the sound transfer.
Central to these concepts is the role of different materials and this is explored through this film.
Teacher Notes
This short film is an ideal tool to support pupils in discussing what sound is and how it travels, it is also useful to look at the role of an insulator in the context of sound.
Pupils can discuss and explore how the movement of molecules causes sounds to travel and how this impacts on our daily lives.
Pupils can discuss how they can find out more about materials that act as conductors and insulators for sounds through planning a science investigation themselves.
Points for discussion:
· What is a conductor?
· What is an insulator?
· How does sound travel?
· How can we stop or reduce the volume of sound traveling?
Suggested activities:
After watching this short film, you could work with pupils to investigate conductors and insulators of sound in the context of your classroom.
Can pupils plan and carry out an investigation to find out how they can increase of decrease the ability of sound to travel from one location to another?
To do this, they will need to consider equipment needed and also make predictions to then find out if they were correct.
This short film is relevant for teaching science at KS1 in England and Wales, Foundation and KS1 in Northern Ireland and Early and 1st Level in Scotland.
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