Sound travels in waves called sound waves.
Sound waves travel through particles, making them vibrate and collide with other particles. This bumping and vibrating continues, passing from particle to particle, carrying the sound through the air. So, it's the vibrations that carry the sound.
Sounds can travel through water, solids, air or anything that has particles for the sound vibrations to bounce off.
That's why there's no sound in space. For sound to travel it needs air molecules to vibrate. In deep space there's no air. We call this a vacuum.
You can muffle or reduce sound by using thick materials that absorb some of the sound waves. Materials like sponge or cardboard are good examples. They capture the sound waves and bounce them around within them, until the vibrations slow down and stop.
Well, Cara, is that working?
Cara! Hello, Cara!
Cara: I can't hear you!
Video summary
This short film explains how sound travels through air. We investigate how sound is transferred through materials and the role that molecules have in this process.
It builds on the concepts explored in the conductors and insulators film and relates these to the movement of molecules in the context of sound rather than temperature.
After investigating how sound travels, the film moves on to explore insulators and how these can shield the sound transfer.
Central to these concepts is the role of different materials and this is explored through this film.
Teacher Notes
This short film is an ideal tool to support pupils in discussing what sound is and how it travels, it is also useful to look at the role of an insulator in the context of sound.
Pupils can discuss and explore how the movement of molecules causes sounds to travel and how this impacts on our daily lives.
Pupils can discuss how they can find out more about materials that act as conductors and insulators for sounds through planning a science investigation themselves.
Points for discussion:
路 What is a conductor?
路 What is an insulator?
路 How does sound travel?
路 How can we stop or reduce the volume of sound traveling?
Suggested activities:
After watching this short film, you could work with pupils to investigate conductors and insulators of sound in the context of your classroom.
Can pupils plan and carry out an investigation to find out how they can increase of decrease the ability of sound to travel from one location to another?
To do this, they will need to consider equipment needed and also make predictions to then find out if they were correct.
This short film is relevant for teaching science at KS1 in England and Wales, Foundation and KS1 in Northern Ireland and Early and 1st Level in Scotland.
The human body. video
This animation takes KS1 pupils through the five senses and all the organs of the human body, showing how we are all different and yet the same in many ways.
Keeping my body healthy. video
This animation explains the importance of eating well, drinking water, and getting enough exercise and sleep.
Animal life cycles. video
This animated film shows the life cycle of a butterfly and a frog, and takes us through the human life cycle.
The food chain. video
This short film for KS1 pupils describes food chains, explaining what consumers and producers are, and what can happen if a food chain is disrupted.
Conductors and insulators. video
This short film introduces pupils to conductors and insulators. It investigates how heat and electricity are transferred or not through different materials and illustrates the role that molecules play in this process.
Solutions. video
In this short film we investigate solutions and how they are formed. We explore how two substances combine to form a solution and what their properties are.
Plant life cycles. video
This short film explains how plants change over time, as well as the clever ways they reproduce.
