How does the density of a material affect the properties of sound traveling from a tuning fork?

Guiding Question:

 How does the density of a material affect the properties of sound traveling from a tuning fork?

Hypothesis: The more dense the surface the lower the pitch

Controlled Variable

Tuning fork- G 384

Force- one medium hit

Manipulated Variable

Object- we are using four different types of materials.

Materials

·         Tuner

·         Notebook

·         Glass

·         Wood

·         Aluminum

·         Locker material

Tuner – G-348

Surface	Pitch Loudness
Aluminum 2800 kg/m3	Aluminum is the densest material that we tested. The observations that we made were Aluminum I produced the softest sound out of all of the objects that we tested.
Glass 2500 kg/m3	A lot louder that aluminum material, it had an annoying sound. This would be considered noise not music. When I was listening on the glass, Roy could hear the noise from the outside.
Wood (oak) 600 kg/m3	This is a lot louder than glass and aluminum and glass- softer than the locker sound.
Locker (steel) 222.260	This material was loudest out of all the materials, this material was the least dense. It had a very annoying sound, very high pitched, and Roy could hear the noise when I was listening to the locker.

Conclusion

 To conclude this lab we found that the material with the least amount of density had the loudest sound. The winner of this experiment was the material steel from our lockers. It turns out that what I thought (sound waves produce louder sounds in a dense material) was not correct. What I have now learned is that sound waves produce a louder sound when in a less dense material. Now I know why lockers sound so loud when you slam them.

Further Inquiry

                I think if I were to do this experiment again I would definitely include many different materials, such as a live tree or a brick. I would be very interesting to test this experiment on a living thing, (not harming the living thing) seeing whether the sound travels faster through biotic rather than abiotic things. This would also be interesting to see what the sound would sound like under water. If you bang the tuner on a dry surface then gently place the tuner on the surface of the water, would it be different or would it be the same?

Guiding Question:

 How does the density of a material affect the properties of sound traveling from a tuning fork?

Hypothesis: The more dense the surface the lower the pitch

Controlled Variable

Tuning fork- B 480

Force- one medium hit

Manipulated Variable

Object- we are using four different types of materials.

Tuner- B -480

Surface	Pitch Loudness
Aluminum 2800 kg/m3	Super high, but a very soft and discrete sound. The highness made the sound very intense.
Glass 2500 kg/m3	This is a little louder than the aluminum material, still having that very intense sound.
Wood (oak) 600 kg/m3	This has a softer sound compared to the steel locker, but it still has a very intense ringing.
Locker (steel) 222.260	Surprisingly this material was way louder than any of the other materials, even with a shorter tuner it was a very loud and intense pitch and sound.

Conclusion

                As the other lab that we completed this was very much the same. Roy and I used a different tuner; we used a higher and shorter tuner. We wanted to figure out if we got the same results as the time before. We did. Roy and I found that with a shorter and higher tuner the sound of the material was louder in a material that is less dense. The steel locker was out winner again! With a different tuner, it made a very different pitch but it you could really tell that the steel material was a lot louder when listening.

Further Inquiry

                What about a lower pitch? What would the pitch sound like now? Maybe a very low, but intense sound, who knows I guess we will never know until we try. I am very interested in knowing what the sound would be like when having the shortest/highest tuner, I think it might hurt my ears. What about a rock material? Many rocks are very dense, some aren’t, it would be cool to test the difference in sound and pitch with different types of rocks. 

Listening to Sounds Lab

Purpose: to determine a way to amplify sound traveling to your ear.

Procedure:

1. Tie 2 strings to the handle of a metal spoon. Each string should be about 40 cm long.
2. Hold one end of each string in each hand. Bump the bowl of the spoon against a desk or other hard, solid object. Listen to the sound. 
3. Now wrap the ends of the string around your fingers. 
4. Put you index fingers up against your ears and bump the spoon against the object again.

Conclusion:

1. How does the first sound compare with the sound you heard with your fingers up against your ears?

The first sound without the string in the ear is sort of a twang, it sounded like a spoon hitting a hard object.
The second sound was more of a ringing of a bell, it sounded like bells because the vibrations from the spoon was ringing up the string and into my ear.
The third sound, Julia and I used a different material, we used a wire with felt on it. This was a lot shorter than the string, so it was louder because the vibrations has a shorter ways to travel.

1. How did the sound travel to your ears when you had the string touching you ears?

The sound that was made by the spoon hitting the desk traveled through the string and up to my ear.The vibrations from the spoon hitting the desk caused the metal to vibrate, causing the string attached to it-also to vibrate. This is the reason why I could hear the sound coming from the disturbance from the spoon and the desk.

This is a picture of a sound wave.

1. Why do you think it was easier to hear the sound when you put the strings by your ears?

It was easier because it the vibrations and waves had a shorter path to travel to my ear. When the string was longer, it had a low sound because the wave had to travel long from the desk to my ear. Also the reason I could hear the sound from the string to my ear is because the sound from the spoon hitting the desk travels through metal and string a lot faster and louder than traveling through air. This is the sure reason why I could hear the twang when not having the string up close to my ears. And the reason why I could hear the sound of church bells is because the wave could travel a lot faster through the string and metal than air.

Current Event- Japan's Nuclear Plant Damaged!

Radiation Leaps after Japan’s plant blasts

By Taiga Uranaka
and Ki Joon Kwon

Web Article

Posted: March 15, 2011

After an 8.9 earthquake hit Japan on March 11, 2011 hit about 150 kilometers away from Sendai. Numerous tsunamis have hit the shores of Japan causing a big crisis along the shores. The reoccurring tsunamis have destroyed many different villages and farmlands. The earthquake and tsunami has also damaged a nuclear power plant off the cost of Fukushima. The radiation levels have risen in the last few days. In total, two reactors have been damaged causing low-level radioactive gas to come out of the plant. Many predict that in just a few hours the low-level radioactive gas combined with the wind will reach Tokyo, Japan’s capital. The problem with radio activity is when you are exposed to radiation for a long time it can cause cancers and leukemia; hopefully this mess will be cleaned up in time. Officials have recommended that people stay indoors and conserve energy. The damage that the earthquake and tsunamis have upon Japan is huge; it has majorly affected its economy. Japan’s stocks have fallen less that 20% in the last few days. Representatives say that the result of the natural disasters has wiped about 600 billion dollars off the market!

This earthquake has a huge effect on Japan. Thousands of cadavers have been washed up on Japans shores. Business, land and buildings have been destroyed from this natural disaster. This devastating quake shook Japan economy, the question remains- will it be able to bounce back? About 900,000 houses have been destroyed from the quake and tsunami; the survivors are now living in freezing weather with no electricity. This just shows us what can happen to a very industrial country when faced with a natural disaster. Should Japan be more take more precautions?

When I first read about what happened to Japan, I was in shock! Japan is a very industrial country and the fact that some villages were completely wiped out is utterly amazing! Not to mention that the earthquake was so big and strong that it shifted the earth’s axis? All these natural disasters are occurring, what can we do to prevent so many causalities? Should countries require more safe-structural foundations? I think that the last few natural disasters are a big wakeup call saying it is time to take those safety classes about earthquakes, or it is time to finally screw the book shelves on to the wall. Our earth is constantly changing and moving, we need to be prepared for every shot that takes to defend everyone around us.
Sites Used:
Saoshiro, Shinichi. "NewsDaily: Japan Braces for Potential Radiation Catastrophe." NewsDaily: Your Best Source for Breaking News. 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. .

Properties of Sound Lab- Experiment 2

Thicker the Rubber Band	It sounds like a low drum beating constantly.
The thinner the Rubber Band	The pitch of the rubber band increases causing the sound to higher.

Experiment 2- Frequency

Procedure:

·         Have two partners each hold one end of the thicker rubber band and pull until the rubber band is not loose.

·         Pull the rubber band about 2 cm away from starting point, let it go. Observe and describe the sound.

·         Repeat steps 1-2 with the thin rubber band and describe the difference in the chart below.

·         Now, take the thicker rubber band again. Repeat 1-2.

·         Now pull the thicker rubber band a little bit tighter and repeat steps 1-2. Observe how the sound changes.

·         Pull the rubber band even tighter and repeat steps 1-2. Observe how the sound changes.

·         The last experiment. Have two partners hold the thick rubber band just like in step 1. Repeat step 2 and observe the change in sound.

·         Repeat step 8 two more times, make the rubber band shorter every time. Recored the observations every time.

Length of Rubber Band	Description of Sound
Shortest	Higher the pitch, and the softer the sound of the rubber band.
Long	Has a high pitch, higher than the “shortest” rubber band sound. Has a higher sound than the “shortest rubber” band.
Longest	High pitch and the loudest of them all.

Tightness of Rubber Bans	Description of Sound
Tightest	Higher Pitch- but the same sound as the “long rubber band”
Tight	Louder sound, but higher pitch than the “shortest” rubber band.
Loose	Super low, the pitch sounds very low.

 

Conclusion

1.       How did the sound change when you changed the amplitude (how far the rubber band was away from the middle point)?

The pitch of the rubber band increases, when you change the amplitude of the rubber band. When listening to the rubber band is sounds like a beat of a drum, steady but with a tang at the end.

2.       What happened when you changed the thickness, length, and tightness of the rubber band?

·         The thicker the band- the lower the pitch of the sound. Sometimes it is very hard to hear the rubber band because the pitch is so low.

·         The thinner the band, and when you pull the band far away from its original\

3.       Sally is playing the guitar and notices that one of her strings is flat (pitch is too low). What can she do to fix this?

If Sally wants to tune her guitar she has to tighten the string. This will make the guitar have a louder sound and pitch. Sally has to be careful of tightening the string to much, if she does this will make the guitar sound awfully high.

Properties of Sound Lab- Experiment 1

Properties of Sound Lab

Procedure:

Experiment #1: Amplitude

1.       Have 2 partners each hold one end of the thicker rubber band, pull until the rubber band is not loose.

2.       Pull the rubber band 1 cm away from the middle. Let it go. How far does the band move? (1 cm) Describe the sound you hear in the table below.

3.       Repeat step 2 four more times. Each time, pull the band back further. Describe how the sound changes each time in the chart below.

Distance away from middle	Description of sound
1 cm	Low bing
2 cm	Little higher bing
3 cm	Even more higher bing
4 cm	Even higher than the last bing
5 cm	This is the highest of all the bings

Conclusion-

To conclude this experiment the farther the distance from the middle of the rubber band the higher the pitch. I noticed during this experiment that the ‘bing’ sound increased when I pulled the rubber band away from its starting point.

Further Inquiry

I wonder what the rubber band would sound like when the rubber band is very thin. My prediction is that the thin rubber band would be very high pitched. I also would wonder what the rubber band would sound like when the band is small and tight.

How People Produce Sound

Guiding Question: How do people produce sound?
Hypothesis: Sound is produced by the vibration of the vocal chords.  
Overview
When sound is produced it come out of a part in the throat called th larynx. In the larynx there are a type of tissue called vocal cords. When air comes out it vibrates the the chords and produces sound. The tighter the tighter the cord the higher the pitch. As the muscles are stretched the chord produces note that has a high frequency and as a result it produces a very high note. The difference between consonants and vowels are the way you speak the word. Consonants are produced when the breath is some what stopped by the lips, tongue or teeth. Vowels are produced by a free breath, in other words vowels are not stopped by the lips, tongue or teeth.

Objective
Observe how your vocal cords affect the sounds you make, and also observe how your tongue, teeth, lips affect the the sounds you make.
Procedure
1). Pronounce the words in the list below to your partner. Pay attention to how you pronounce the first letter of each word.

2). Together decide if you are stopping your breath when you are pronouncing the first letter of each word. Use a check mark to record in the Data and Observations section if the consonant is stopped or open.


Word List
1) Boat   2) Dog
3) Fan     3) Vote
4) Kite     5) Gate
6) Pen     7) Zebra
8) Sister   9) Tone


Results
 The position of your teeth are the same when you pronounce the letters "d" and "t".
The difference between the sound of "d" and the sound of a "v" is the sound of "d" is the movement of the tongue and the sound of "v" is the movement of lips/mouth. For the sounds "G" and "K"  you use your lips and voice, but not your tongue and teeth. These are the consonants that use the lips and not the tongue and teeth.


Ugh! Laryngitis!



Getting laryngitis when in a school musicals  is not very good. Laryngitis is when the vocal tissue gets inflamed or swollen and it causes a blockage in the larynx, a a result the air going through the larynx is very rough. It is easy to get laryngitis when it is flu season. Some of the symptoms of laryngitis are:

• Fever
• Hoarse voice 
• Swollen lymph nodes

To treat this virus refer to your doctor or:

• Soothing tea
• Salt water gargles 
• Pain Killer
• Rest 

To prevent getting laryngitis, you can do the following: 

• Wash your hand regularly
• Avoid people with flu like symptoms
• Stay clean in big crowds  

  Any other questions here is a video about laryngitis, by LiveStrong.com. Dr. Susan L. MCGLADDERY- a doctor working in Budapest, Hungry.

Laryngitis Health Byte

Being Prepared during an Earthquake

Being Prepared during and Earthquake

Keeping your House Safe

·         If you want to have an overall safe house, check your foundations. This is a key to have a solid structural foundation, if it isn’t solid or strong this might fall in when a natural disaster kicks in. If any sign of a broken beam or ceiling have it immediately checked out by engineers so that you can keep your family safe.

·         If you want to keep your family safe take the time to get protective materials such as- shutters for hurricanes or install book shelves that are nailed to the wall so that they don’t topple over you during an earthquake.

·         Remember your home is somewhere that you should feel safe. Take the extra safety precautions to keep you and your family safe.

Being safe outside

o   If you are outside go immediately to an open space. Try to stay away from large buildings because of falling debris.

o   The worst place that you can be is right outside a building wall. During an earthquake falling glass, walls and other material can be lethal.

o   Stay away from utility wires; they can still have energy in them which also can be lethal.

o   Once in an open space stay there till the shaking stops

Being Safe Inside

§  When in an earthquake it is essential to DROP and COVER – go under a sturdy chair or desk. And Hold on, in earthquake a lot of movement happens, causing the piece the furniture to move around. To be safe hold on!

§  Try to stay away from windows, book shelves, or large light fixtures. During an earthquake these have a potential to fall over on you.

§  After an earthquake it is even more important to be careful, because the house or apartment building is still not very safe.

§  Keep flip-flops under your bed, so in case of an earthquake you are able to quickly to put on your shoe and get to safety quickly.

§  Do not go into an elevator!!

Earthquake Safety on Prezi

If in a vehicle

o   Safely stop on the side of the road, try not to stop under any bridges or over passes. Stay away from wires and trees, both of these things have a potential to fall over during an earthquake.

o   When earthquake has stopped remember to still keep away from bridges. After a large disturbance, they could be unstable.

My families Safety Plan

If a natural disaster occurs our family had a plan to

During

v  During the quake- stay calm and think before you act.

v  Hold on to a sturdy desk or chair.

v  Do not move before the shacking stops.

v  Go away from any windows!

After

• v  Check for injuries. If anyone is hurt, Mom takes over.
• v  Locate family, call out, careful not to take too much dust.
• v  Retrieve the first aid kit and earth quake supply box.
• v  Must turn off gas or any other dangerous things in the house.

Where do you go?

Our house has a very big yard, our plan is to go into the middle of the yard and wait till everything has calmed down. We have an emergency radio; we will take that out with us and try our best to understand the Serbian radio. Also the American Embassy provides each family will a walky-talky, that we can use to call the embassy.  

How would you wait it out?

 After getting out of the house (if we can, and if it is safe enough) going out to the yard to wait till Post One calls us. Since my mom is a doctor we can lend a hand to all the other neighbors who need help.  

Evacuation

The US Embassy provides each house with an emergency walky-talky and a fire hydrant. We can use the fire hydrant incase of any sort of fire, and the walky-talky to contact Post One. Hopefully we can contact Post One for help.

Saftey Kit

• Ø  Water
• Ø  Food that doesn’t expire very fast
• Ø  First Aid kit including: band aids, gauze, Advil, tape to hold bandages, sissiors for cutting the tape, sanitizer/disinfectant.
• Ø  Flash Light with extra batteries
• Ø  Possible a blanket- always was to be to safe rather than not safe enough.
• Ø  Portable radio – with extra batteries

Issues in your house- what would need to change?

Top Floor:

Lu’s room- unstable light fixture on top, mirror on the wall, heavy lamp, window

Blaise’s Room- unstable light fixture, window, two heavy lamps

Middle Floor:

Parents Room- Big mirror, big windows, unstable light fixture, heavy lamp, hanging mirror

Jo’s Room- Books shelves, big windows, heavy lamp

Kitchen- Cabinets doors not fastened, clock hanging, big windows.

Living Room- Chimney

Boiler Room- Unattached water heater