Changing Pitch and Loudness
If you have a skinny elastic and a fat elastic, which one will make the higher pitch and which one will make the lower pitch?
Skinny elastic=high pitch
Fast elastic = low pitch
Where is the pinna?
What does it do?
The pinna acts as a funnel, catching sound waves and directing them toward the inner ear.
How does a megaphone work?
A megaphone directs the sound you make. It prevents the sound from scattering in other directions and focuses it toward your target. It also helps to increase the volume of your sound.
How is sound made?
Sound is caused by the vibration of an object.
What are some sounds that can damage our hearing?
-Plane taking off
-Concerts or loud music in earphones
-Construction machines
Conrad made a guitar with a ruler, two elastic bands and a box. He wants to make the sound louder. He should
a. use one elastic
b. use a larger box
c. pluck the elastics harder
d. pluck the elastics more gently.
c. plus the elastics harder
Where is the eardrum?
What is the point of the eardrum?
The eardrum is between the ear canal and the three tiny bones.
The point of the eardrum is to vibrate and these pass the vibrations through three bones of the middle ear.
Imagine Miss Nelson lost her voice. How could she speak softly but still have the Grade 3 students hear her?
-She could use a voice amplification system (microphone).
-She could use a megaphone.
-She could be physically closer to the students.
-The students could listen more carefully.
Amy learned that vibration is another word for wave. Which of these produces waves, but NOT the sort of wave we can hear?
a. sun
b. rain
c. wind
d. thunder
a. sun
What are some ways you can prevent damage to your ears?
-Wear ear protection
-Move away from loud sounds
-Limit how long you are exposed to loud sounds
-Turn volume down
David learned that sound is a result of vibrations and the faster the vibration
a. the lower the pitch
b. the higher the pitch
c. the softer the sound
d. the louder the sound
b. the higher the pitch
What makes up the inner ear?
-the semicircular canals
-the cochlea
-the auditory nerve
How does the tubing with the funnels attached at either end work? What does it do to the volume of the sound?
or
How did the plastic cup phones work with the string? How could you make the sound the most clear?
Tighten the string in between the cups
Speak directly into the cup
Put your ear into the cup opening
How do we measure sound?
We use a sound meter and the sound meter measures the sound in decibels or dB.
Why is sound important?
-Safety
-Communication
-Information
-Enjoyment
How can you make a sound louder?
-use more force when you pluck, hit, say, sing, or shout it
-enlarge the hollow space or make the sound with a hollow space near it
-use an amplification system
What happens to the loudness of the sound as we move away from the sound source?
The loudness decreases
Are there other ways to communicate besides using sound?
-Pictures or symbols
-Facial expressions
-Typing or written messages
-Gestures
-Sign language
How does the ear work?
Sound waves are funneled into the middle ear by the pinna then into the ear canal.
The ear drum vibrates and it makes the hammer, anvil, and stirrup bones move.
The vibration moves to the semi-circular canals, through the cochlea, and through the auditory nerve to the brain.
The brain interprets the sound and we respond to it.
If you had to block a sound, what material would you use?
a. soil
b. sawdust
c. styrofoam
d. concrete
c. styrofoam
Give some examples of how animals hear differently that people?
-Elephants feel vibrations through the ground
-Bats use echolocation, using sound waves that bounce back to them to tell where objects or prey are located
-Dolphins' jawbones transmit vibrations to their middle ear when underwater, and there are small openings on opposite sides of their head to hear through when above the surface.
-Snakes have inner ears similar to ours and they feel the vibration through the air or ground through their jawbones.