Physics: Sound waves

This week we continued exploring sound. We used slinkies to model how sound waves work and then spent some time experimenting in this really cool online sound lab.

Physics: E.T. phone home

While we're on the topic of sound I thought it would be a great time to learn how to make cup-phones. Problem is I had never really done it before. I knew we'd need cups and string, but what kind of cups? Thick string or thing string? Does the material matter? Tough questions, but lucky for me, like Thomas Edison, I've got a stable of engineers in my very own Menlo Park. Given a range of cups and strings to choose from, the kids tested out different models. By the end of the hour I expected a full report on how to make the best cup phone and time-permitting, the pros and cons of various cell-phone plans.

Physics: Good Vibrations

This week we started a new topic: SOUND. We talked about what a sound is and experimented with sounds produced by different materials. The kids made oboe-like straws, plucked rubber bands of different widths and lengths across shoe boxes, bounced wooden sticks off the side of tables, and struck water-filled glass jars, noting in each case how different changes affected the pitch. Finally, the kids used their observations to created their own instruments, and then we had a concert!

Physics: Good Vibrations

This week we talked about what a sound is and experimented with sounds produced by different materials. The kids made oboe-like straws, plucked rubber bands of different widths and lengths across shoe boxes, bounced wooden sticks off the side of tables, and struck glasses filled with water (looks like wine, but it's just food coloring, I promise!), noting in each case how different changes affected the pitch. Finally, the kids used their observations to created their own instruments, and then we had a concert!