lesson

Sound begins with a vibration

1 · Learn

A vibration is a repeated back-and-forth movement. A plucked string vibrates and makes the surrounding air vibrate. Those vibrations can reach our ears as sound.

The vibrating object may move too little or too quickly for us to see clearly. Not seeing movement does not prove that no vibration is happening.

Vibrating sourceVibrations in materialEar
Key words and supplied examples.

2 · Worked example

A ruler held firmly on a desk can vibrate at its free end when an adult demonstrates it gently. I connect the visible movement with the sound.

3 · Your turn

What does a plucked string do that produces sound?

Check your answer

It vibrates, causing vibrations in the surrounding material such as air.

4 · Apply your learning

Observe an adult's gentle safe instrument demonstration and describe the source that vibrates.

Adult guidance and safety

Keep sound comfortable. No snapping bands near faces, placing objects in ears or loud sounds next to anyone's ear.

Open your writing and drawing pad

Write, draw or show your working. Use a mouse, pen or finger. This pad is not a submitted answer.

Not saved to your account. Download your drawing as PNG and your typed notes as TXT before leaving or refreshing. They are separate files. Do not enter private information.

Open a picture saved on this device to draw on it again. Opening replaces the drawing, but Undo can restore it. PNG only, up to 4 MB and 4096 × 4096 pixels. The picture stays in this browser; it is not uploaded. Paper lines in a saved picture become part of that picture.

Drawing is unavailable. Use the typed working area below.

Your pad is empty.

Open a UTF-8 TXT file from this device, up to 40 KB and 10,000 characters. It stays in this browser. Opening can be undone until you type again. Downloads keep a new copy; they do not change the file you opened.

Typed notes are not submitted answers.

My observation notebook

With an adult, look at a safe real example or a checked photograph. Name the example and say which you used. Record what you actually notice. Do not taste plants or materials, approach unknown animals or invent missing observations.

Ask your teacher for support with the method and recording. A prediction is what you think might happen; an observation is what you actually see, hear or feel safely.

Keep your notebook: use Download notebook before leaving. Nothing is sent to the website or saved to your account. Reopen the downloaded notebook here to add another day's record. Do not include names, addresses or other private information.

Practice this lesson

Lesson resources

Browse the available practice activities and worksheets for this lesson.

Open course resources

Your progress

Ready to continue?