Sound travels as vibrations passing from particle to particle. It can travel through gases like air, through liquids like water and through solids like a wooden table. It cannot travel through space, because there are no particles there. Sound gets fainter as it travels further from the source.
Pitch is how high or low a sound is. Short, thin, tight strings vibrate fast and make a high pitch. Long, thick, loose strings vibrate slowly and make a low pitch. In bottles of water, the air column inside vibrates when you blow: less air gives a higher note. Volume is how loud a sound is; hitting a drum harder makes bigger vibrations and a louder sound.
Worked example
Which string makes the higher note: a short one or a long one?
- Shorter strings vibrate faster.
- Faster vibrations give a higher pitch.
Answer:So the short string makes the higher note.
Key words
- pitch
- how high or low a sound is
- volume
- how loud or quiet a sound is
- vacuum
- empty space with no particles, where sound cannot travel
- vibration
- a fast backwards-and-forwards movement
New questions every time.
NGSS-referenced: 4-PS4-1