To finish our Science topic on Sound, we conducted an investigation. We looked at volume and what makes a quiet sound and what makes a loud sound. We also wondered if volume affects how far a sound travels. We know that when you make a sound, it always involves the same thing – vibrations. Energy is needed to make the vibrations; sound is a form of energy. Using our voices, our hands and shakers, we worked out that a smaller amount of energy is needed to make a quiet sound and a lot more energy is needed to make louder sounds. For example, we could control the volume of the shakers by shaking gently and then shaking it harder, using more energy. We also concluded that louder sounds travel further across the room compared to quieter sounds, because the smaller amount of energy runs out faster. It was a very noisy, but fun and educational end to the topic!
