Tuning Fork Lab

Guiding Question: How does the density of a material affect the properties of sound travelling from a tuning fork?
Hypothesis: The denser the material, the softer/lower the sound
Materials:
1. tuning forks: 512, 320
2. table
3. wooden stool
4. radiator
5. plastic tub
6. white board
7. locker
Procedure:
1. Take the first tuning fork (512) and hit it on the first material. Listen to how loud the sound is. Do this with all of the materials and order them from quietest to loudest in a graph. Find the density of all of the materials you hit the tuning fork on, and determine whether the density had effect on the loudness of the sound.
2. Continue testing with the same materials and and a different tuning fork (320). Graph results.

512	oak table (0.65 grams per cubic cm.)	Locker (7.859 grams per cubic cm.)	white board (0.57 grams per cubic cm.)
OBSERVATIONS	lower than 320, quieter than 312	lower than 320, metallic sound, traveled fast was relatively quiet, echoey	lower than 320, LOUD
320	oak table (0.65 grams per cubic cm.)	locker	white board (0.57 grams per cubic cm.)
OBSERVATIONS	higher than 512, louder than 512	higher than 512, metallic sound, travelled faster than table	higher than 512, quieter, a bit more intense

Conclusion:

Our guiding question was how the density of a material affects the properties of sound travelling from a tuning fork. From the data that we gathered, I can tell a couple of different things. It seems that in most cases, other than the metal, the denser the object the more difficult it is for the waves to travel through as fast. With steel, though, it’s a different story. Because it has a lot more elasticity, the sound waves travel faster through the steel than they did for either of the other objects, regardless of the density. My hypothesis was mostly correct, although I didn’t mention steel or anything of that sort.

Further Inquiry:

I think that any major causes of error were because of the way we listened to the tuning forks. We could have probably been more accurate and tried to measure a different factor such as the intensity of the sound, or even the loudness. It would have been cool if we had done a couple of different tests to figure out not only about the density, but also all of the other factors of the medium and the wave.

Noise Pollution

There are many different ways to define noise pollution, but a general definition would be any irksome sound from anywhere from 45 decibels to 120 decibels, which is the threshold of pain. Noise pollution can be caused by many different things – cars, loud and busy places, heavy street traffic, trains and subways, boiler factories, thunderclaps, jet engines, and music. It causes hearing damage, prevents sleep, and affects your environment. Extreme losses of sleep can cause health issues such as heart disease and mental instability. Transportation is often the cause of these health issues, which is why hybrid vehicles are a good choice to prevent noise pollution. Their engine is so different that it is nearly silent.

Noise pollution affects most living things, not just humans. Noise pollution has made Earth unpleasant for animals too. When animals are exposed to high decibel levels, there is always a reaction, often in the form of trembling. For example, terrible noise levels can cause the milk production of a cow to decrease. A calm, relaxed, and relatively quiet environment is needed.

Also, underwater animals such as dolphins and whales become uncomfortable because of noise pollution from submarines, ships, and sonars. Other sea animals communicate with each other by producing different sound levels too each other. The noise of other ships and commercial ships doesn’t allow them to communicate well, so both the reproduction and the ability to feed are wrecked. One of the reasons why certain species of birds have become extinct is because of noise pollution. Very often, birds detect and hunt their prey using their sharp hearing. When the birds live in urban areas, their hearing is so disrupted that they are often unable to find and catch their prey.

Hearing problems, cardiovascular issues, sleep disturbances, interference in verbal communication, and mental health problems are all ways that noise pollution affects humans. Noise pollution nearly always causes hearing problems. When the sound level goes above 80 decibels, there are damaging effects to the ear. Over 100 decibels can cause irreparable damage and maybe even permanent hearing loss. A noisy environment can also cause cardiovascular issues, or heart problems. Sound causes weird changes in blood pressure when it is of a high intensity, and the sudden changes in the blood increase the likelihood of heart disease in the long run.

Overall well-being can be affected by noise pollution, too. Sleep disturbances are one of the major things that cause a person to have less energy and work less efficiently. People with constantly interrupted sleep often have extreme fatigue, which causes a huge dip in their energy level. To think that something as simple as noise could cause all of these problems!

There are several small but effective steps one can take to prevent noise pollution.

1. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, cars, and chainsaws can be quieted down by buying mufflers .

2. For that matter, you should rake leaves by hand instead of using a noisy leaf blower and trim your bushes by hand.

3. Put curtains, window inserts, and carpeting inside of rooms with loud music in order to sound proof them.

4. Don’t blast music louder than you have to. It’s just plain inconsiderate of your ears and the others around you.

5. Don’t slam doors!

6. Turn off the TV when you aren’t watching it, or turn it down.

7. Trees and bushes help absorb sound, so plant some around your house.

8. If you have a dog, train it not to bark too much.

9. Don’t yell across the street, call the person!

10. Don’t beep your car horn unless absolutely necessary.

There are many different ways that science and technology have helped to try and lower the effects of noise pollution. Hybrid cars are an example. They are friendly to the environment in several different ways! Not only do they save natural resources and energy, but they also make much less noise. If everybody drove hybrid cars, our environment would be a much nicer and quieter one, not to mention we would cut down normal pollution by a lot.

For the everyday citizen, listening to an Ipod is a big factor of their life. Therefore, headphones have been created which send the sound to your head and no one else’s. Headphones have also been created to protect your own ears. For example, if you play the drums, you definitely need ear protection. There are certain sound-proof headphones that let just enough sound through as is comfortable. These are all ways that science and technology have helped lessen the effects of noise pollution.

Still, there are some things that technology and science simply can’t do. This means that we can try to lessen the effects of noise pollution, but we can’t completely remove them. It’s all about being smart and making the right decisions for both your ears and your neighbor’s. Sound will reach you no matter what, and you just have to be ready to protect your ears.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

"What Is Noise Pollution? - What Noise Pollution Is, What Causes Noise Pollution, and Who Regulates It." Recent Questions: - Questions Recently Asked on What-Is-What.com. Web. 02 Apr. 2011. .

J, Nicks. "Noise Pollution Effects." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 28 Mar. 2011.

"Answers.com - What Measures Taken to Prevent Noise Pollution." WikiAnswers - The Q&A Wiki. Web. 01 Apr. 2011.

Current Events on Japan

On March 11, 2011, a disaster occurred in Japan. An earthquake happened, scaled to 8.9 on the Richter Scale! This caused a huge tsunami that was calamitous. Not only did the tsunami destroy many homes and buildings, but it affected a nuclear power plant called Daiichi. Workers are still attempting to cool down the power plant by injecting seawater, but if something is not done soon this could have a horrible effect. This situation was rated a 4, in comparison to Chernobyl, which was a 7. Officials say that around 190 people may have been exposed to radiation, and around 200,000 people from nine towns within 20 kilometers of the Daiichi nuclear power plant have been evacuated. If the workers do not soon leave, then all of them will be harmfully affected by the radiation. Even though the current radiation levels would not be immediately dangerous, there could still be long-term effects. Breathing this into your lungs and absorbing the radiation in the skin, eyes, and mouth could even cause cancer.

The situation in Japan is currently very dire. Homes have been lost, there are still survivors to be found, and, on top of all that, there might be a big problem with a nuclear power plant. I think that it is important that everybody finds some way to help, whether it is by donating a mere 50 dollars or by working even harder to fund raise and raising 500 dollars. It's both interesting and alarming that an earthquake and a tsunami can cause such a disaster. Even though the disaster is in Japan, it always affects everybody else. Some people have relatives in Japan, for example! All I can say is that I will try to fund raise a lot for Japan and that I hope everybody else does the same.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Survivors-Pulled-From-Wreckage-Nine-Days-After-Japan-Quake-118326949.html

http://www.state.gov/m/rls/remarks/2011/158550.htm

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/japan-tsunami/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503051&objectid=10712802

Properties of Sound Lab

Purpose: To determine how changing amplitude and frequency can change how a sound is perceived.

Procedure:

Experiment #1: Amplitude

1. Have 2 partners each hold one end of the thicker rubber band and pull until the rubber band is taut (not loose).

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

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.

Experiment #2: Frequency

1. Have 2 partners each hold one end of the thicker rubber band and pull until the rubber band is taut (not loose).

2. Pull the rubber band about 2 cm away from the middle. Let it go. Observe the sound.

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

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

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

6. Pull the rubber band even tighter and repeat steps 1-2. Observe how the sound changes. Record your observations in the chart.

7. Last experiment: have two partners hold the thick rubber band just like in step 1. Repeat step 2 and observe the sound.

8. Now, have one of your partners move his or her hand so that the rubber band is a little bit shorter. Repeat step 2 and observe the change in the sound.

9. Repeat step 8 two more times, making the rubber band a little shorter each time. Record your observations of the change in sound.

RESULTS:

Experiment #1:

DISTANCE AWAY FROM MIDDLE	DESCRIPTION OF SOUND
1 cm	Very low, quiet
2 cm	A little louder, same pitch
3 cm	Still louder, a TINY bit higher pitch?
4 cm	Even louder, higher pitch?
5 cm	Loudest, higher pitch?

Experiment #2

THICKNESS OF RUBBER BAND	DESCRIPTION OF SOUND
Thick	Kind of dull
Thin	Louder, sharper

TIGHTNESS OF RUBBER BAND	DESCRIPTION OF SOUND
Loose	Very low, kind of like a twang
Tight	In the middle, twang
Tightest	Dull sound, highest pitch

The looser the band is, the lower the pitch.

LENGTH OF RUBBER BAND	DESCRIPTION OF SOUND
Longest	32 cm, sharp and low pitch
Long	28 cm, middle pitch
Shortest	23 cm, higher pitch

CONCLUSION:

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

The farther away you pulled it, the louder and sharper the sound became.

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

Thickness: the thicker the band is, the duller the sound

Tightness: the tighter the band is, the higher the pitch

Length: the shorter the band is, the higher the pitch

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?

She can tighten the string, which will make the pitch higher.

How People Produce Sound

Guiding Question:

How do people produce sound?

Hypothesis: People produce sound by

Objective:

In this experiment, we will observe how vocal cords affect the sounds you make and observe how our lips, tongues, and teeth influence the sounds we make.

Procedure:

For this lab, work with a partner.

1. Pronounce the words in the list below to your partner. Pay attention to how you pronounce the first letter of each word.

Word List:

boat

fan

kite

pen

sister

dog

vote

gate

zebra

tone

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.

FIRST LETTER	STOPPED	OPEN
B	yes
F		yes
K	Yes
P	Yes
S		Yes
D	Yes
V		Yes
G	Yes
Z		Yes
T	yes

CONCLUSIONS:

1. Is the shape of your mouth or the position of your teeth or tongue different when you pronounce a "d" than when you pronounce a "t"?

Yes, the tongue movements are different.

2. What is the difference between the sound of a "d" and the sound of a "v"?

V is with your lips and teeth, while d is with your tongue.

3. For which first-letter sound(s) in the table do you use your lips and your voice, but not your tongue or your teeth?

B and P

4. What part of the larynx is like the strings of a guitar?

The vocal chords

Why are women's voices usually of a higher pitch than men's?

Our vocal chords are more tightly stretched.

Why then, are the voices of young girls and boys of about the same pitch?

Your vocal chords don't stretch until you start growing up.

Family Earthquake Safety Plan

We have 11 rooms in our house and several hallways. Our house is not the safest place to be during an earthquake, because we have lots of huge ornaments, instruments, and paintings hanging up all over our house. With just a bit of shuddering, everything will fall down. I remember there was a tiny earthquake here once and all of the cupboards in our kitchen fell down. A huge number of plates, glasses, bowls, and platters broke. We got a safer kind of cupboards, but the same thing could happen to the rest of our house. However, I researched more about being safe in earthquakes and I found this article that said it's safer to hide right next to something relatively sturdy than right underneath it. This is because if the ceiling were to cave in, it would fall on top of the table or desk. This would cause the distance to be greater from the ceiling and you. However, things that it is possible to hide under are always good things to be next to.
Living Room and Dining Room:
This is one of the most dangerous parts of our house. We have a whole collection of paintings and instruments hanging up that could fall down any second. A safe spot could be under our dining room table, because it's very sturdy, doesn't have unstable feet, and would protect whoever is under it from the glass cabinets in that area. Otherwise, there is not really anywhere to go in the event of an earthquake.

Kitchen:

There are also not very many places to hide in the event of an earthquake. In this case, the most stable place to be would be under the doorway. Hiding under the table would not be a very smart thing to do because the legs are extremely wobbly and the top part of the table would most likely just collapse on top of whoever is hiding underneath it. Some dangerous things are the kitchen cupboards, the refrigerator, and possibly the distiller (should the earthquake be a great one).

Bathrooms:

One word - doorways.

My Room:

In this case, I would hide under my desk, which has a very thick top and is actually very stable. This would protect me from the windows and possibly the ceiling, since I am all the way on the 3rd floor and only one layer would collapse on me.

Guest Bedroom:

This one is also kind of complicated. There is nearly nothing that one would be able to hide under, so I would say to stand either in the doorway or in one of the corners of the room. The middle of the room is usually the part that collapses, so the corners would be safer. Also there is nothing near the corners that would actually collapse on top of you if you were to hide there.

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-5-28/71106.html

http://geology.com/articles/earthquake-safety.shtml

And, here is a video on more on earthquake safety:

http://www.ehow.com/video_5112721_earthquake-safety.html

Design a Seismograph Lab

Guiding Question:

Can you design and build a seismograph that can record the movements of simulated earthquakes?

Hypothesis:

We should be able to build a seismograph that works, but my hypothesis is that it’s going to be difficult to build one that works for every kind of earthquake, whether it’s tiny, moderate, or huge.

Materials:

- Chair

- Two wooden boards

- nails

- Two wires

- Two strings

- Weights

- Tape

- Book

- Paper

- Pencil case

- A pen

Procedure:

1. First, nail the two boards together to create a 90 degree angle.
2. Next, hang a string from the edge of the boards and attach a pen to it.
3. Add two weights to the pen so that it doesn’t dangle all over the place.
4. Put that whole contraption on top of a chair to keep the boards in place. To make it even more stable, rest it on top of the pencil case.
5. Put the strings and wires around the legs of the chair and attach them to the pen so that it is kept firmly in one spot.
6. Put a clean sheet of paper on a book under the pen so that the tip of the pen is just resting on the paper. The book represents any seismic activity, so in order to make a test, shake the book but move it in a certain direction at the same time. On the paper, there should be a long squiggly line, which is the seismogram.

Data Analysis:

Although I wasn’t there for the first part of the experiment, even while I was there, there were a lot of alterations that had to be made to the original design to make it work. Bigger earthquakes were supposed to cause bigger lines on the paper, but all that they seemed to do was make a bunch of random scribbles on the page. Eventually we realized that we were doing it wrong. Instead of shaking the book, we shook the chair, which was saying that the seismograph shakes, not the earthquake. Once our seismograph finally worked properly, we were able to easily see that if the earthquake is big, then the lines are really big and really close together. If there is no earthquake at all but the seismograph is still functioning, then it just draws a straight line.

Conclusion:

I liked this lab because it taught us about seismographs and about measuring earthquakes, and we were actually able to pretend there was an earthquake and measure it. I learned that the smaller lines on the seismograms meant the earthquake was really small, while bigger lines and bigger differences between them meant that the earthquake was very large. I also learned something about doing scientific labs in general, because we had to do so many tests. Even if you don’t figure out how to do the experiment right away, there’s always something that can be changed to make it function more properly. We tried many different ways of keeping the pen in one place at exactly the right level, but only the last one worked.

Further Inquiry:

If I were to do this lab again I would try to make a couple of changes to the design (seeing as I wasn’t the one to actually design it). First of all, I would try to create a long roll of paper kind of like toilet paper, so that you wouldn’t have to keep changing sheets of paper when there’s an earthquake and so that you can measure more than like 4 seconds of the earthquake. I think the wooden structure that we had was also kind of unnecessary, because by the time that we attached the strings and the wires to the chair and the pen at the same time, the wooden structure was doing basically nothing except keeping the chair in place. There are also probably a lot of other alternatives that are easier to keep the chair in place. If we have efficient seismographs then they would help the rest of the world by helping us understand the natural disasters around us and by helping us compare earthquakes all around the world so that it’s clear where most earthquakes occur, or where the faults of the world are.