Weekly Blog 3/4/18 - Sound

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Summary

Sounds are formed by the vibration of molecules in a medium. It carries energy and travels in sound waves. When you hear sounds, the reason why they all sound different is because of wavelength, amplitude, and frequencies. Wavelength is the distance from the top of one wave to another or how wide the waves are. Amplitude is the height of the wave. Frequencies are the number of wavelengths that travel past one point in one second. The frequency of a sound directly affects the pitch of the sound. Lower frequencies have a lower pitch while higher frequencies have a higher pitch.

SP2: Developing and Using Models

I developed models when I experimented with bottles and water to produce sounds of different pitches. By adjusting the amounts of water in each bottle and blowing on them, I was able to learn that bottles with less water have a lower pitch when you blow and bottles with more water have a higher pitch. Using the bottles helped me learn more about sound vibrations and how frequency affects pitch.

XCC: Structure and Function

In order to be able to hear sounds, our ears are specially built and include certain parts. Sound waves enter through the outer ear and travel through the ear canal. Once it reaches the eardrum, the sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate which moves the tiny bones in the middle ear. The purpose of the tiny bones are to help sound travel into the inner ear where they enter the cochlea (a curled tube in the inner ear that is filled with liquid) and produce waves. Along the exterior of the cochlea are tiny cells that are covered in even tinier hairs. The vibrations of the sound cause the hairs to move sending nerve signals to the brain. The brain processes the nerve signals as sound so you can hear it. Without any of these parts, you wouldn't be able to hear. For example, when the hair cells on your cochlea die or are damaged, that's when you begin to experience loss of hearing.