It is easy to develop an interest in science among young kids.
At ScienceWithMe! ® we encourage you to start right now! How?? Have your kids do the following experiment and remember to discuss it with them…. If you enjoy doing science experiments with your child, download our fantastic eBook ‘19 Fun Science Experiments Every Parent Should do with Their Child!' ScienceWithMe!® Making science fun for kids!
- A metal spoon.
- A piece of twine or thick string about 3 feet (1 meter) long.
- A hard surface, like a table.
Sound is made when an object creates a “wave” of sound that is picked up by your ears. Your ears then turn the sound wave into sound your brain understands. Sound waves can also travel through solid objects. When you hear sound that has traveled through a solid object, the sound is different and often is much louder than sound waves which travel through the air. Let’s see if we can figure this out!
- Tie the spoon to the end of the string.
- Tie the other end of the string to your thumb.
- Dangle the spoon by the string and hit it against the leg of a table. Listen to how it sounds.
Now put the tip of your thumb up against the hole in one of your ears. Put the finger firmly against the side of your head but don’t poke your thumb into your ear canal (ear opening). Now, hit the spoon against the leg of the table. Listen to how the sound changes. When the spoon was simply hit against the table, it should have made a dull, softer clanging sound If you put your thumb touching your ear canal, you hear the sound travel up the string and through your thumb. The sound will be louder and deeper now. This kind of hearing is called “conductive hearing” because the sound conducts through a solid object Your voice sounds different when you hear it yourself than if you hear it on a video tape or tape recorder. This is because you use your conductive hearing to hear your voice through the air and through your body, making your voice sound lower and not the same as others hear it. Understanding that sound travels both through the air and through solid objects is hard for some children to understand. Help them see that sounds inside their body, such as their heart beat and the gurgling of their stomach, travel through their body and can be heard on the outside.
