Vibrations
This is what you see when you pluck a rubber band, and it’s what makes sound.
What are vibrations?
Sound travels through air, water, and even solids. These are called…?
Mediums!
Low-pitched sounds have waves that are ___ apart.
Farther!
Tiny bones in your ear that help you hear are called the…?
Ossicles
What is Bill Nye’s “job” in the show’s title?
The Science Guy!
What happens to air molecules when a bell is struck?
The molecules vibrate and bump into neighboring molecules.
What is the visual comparison Bill Nye uses when sound moves through air?
"Like ripples in a pond".
High-pitched sounds have waves that are ___ together.
Closer :)
After vibrations bounce the eardrum, what carries the message to the brain?
Nerves!
Which rock band guest-starred in the Sound episode?
Soundgarden
True or false: Sound is created when atoms inside your vocal cords vibrate.
True!
Define a sound wave in simple terms.
It’s a pressure wave moving through a medium.
If a sound is louder, does it have more or less energy?
More energy and more molecules moving!
Name one of the three smallest bones in the body used for hearing.
The hammer, anvil, or stirrup.
What’s the title of the parody song featured in this episode?
“Sound is a VIBE” by Gloria Wavelength and the Vibrations
Give an example of a vibrating object in everyday life.
A speaker, vocal cords, phones, etc.
Why can’t sound travel in space?
There’s no medium/no molecules to carry the vibrations.
Which has a lower pitch: a whistle or a drum bass?
A drum bass.
Why does the spiral shape inside your ear matter?
It helps us detect both quiet and loud sounds!
Name one of the “Did You Know That?” fun facts from the episode.
Smallest bones are in your ears; grasshoppers produce loudest sound; sound speed ≈ 344 m/s
Describe what would happen if there were no molecules to vibrate.
Sound wouldn’t travel; no vibrations through a medium.
Sound moves through air at approximately how many meters per second?
About 344 m/s !
How do wave spacing and amplitude change from a whispered “p” to a shouted “P”?
Waves are farther apart and amplitude is lower/flatter for whisper; opposite for shout.
Explain briefly how sound waves reach your brain.
Vibrations travel → eardrum → ossicles → inner ear → nerves → brain.
When did the “Sound” episode first air?
November 26, 1993! (Before any of us here existed or is it...?)