Seeing and Feeling Sound Vibrations
Students examine the existence of sound by listening to and seeing sound waves while conducting a set of simple activities as a class or in pairs at stations. Students describe sound in terms of its pitch, volume and frequency. They use this knowledge to discuss how engineers study sound waves to help people who cannot hear or talk.
Students listen carefully to examine sound.Copyright Pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/close-up-communication-deaf-ear-18753/
Biomedical engineers are especially interested in sound waves because they design devices such as hearing aids or computerized voices that help people who cannot speak or hear be able to create or identify these sound waves. Engineers also design many types of imaging devices that change ultrasonic and infrasonic sound energy into visual images. For example, some medical equipment uses sound energy to create screen images of what is going on, unseen, in the human body. And, ocean navigation equipment includes sound imaging equipment so ships can determine the unseen terrain of an ocean floor.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe how sound is created by the vibration of certain objects. As the vibration changes, so does the sound.
- Relate that sound energy can be seen as well as heard.
- Describe sound in terms of volume, pitch and frequency.
- Explain how engineers use their knowledge of sound waves to create devices to help people hear.