Description

Sound is mechanical energy. The branch of physics that is concerned with sound energy is acoustics. Sound energy can be generated, it can move from one place to another, it can do work, and it dissipates over time and distance. We can investigate sound sources to find how energy is transferred to them, to cause vibrations, how the vibrations that result produce sound, and how those vibrations are detected by sound receivers.

The Sound Design Module has three investigations that engage students with the phenomena of sound and the ways that humans and other animals use it in their lives. The driving question is what is sound and how can we produce and design sound? Through firsthand experiences students ask questions, plan and carry out investigations, interpret data, and construct explanations about how sound is produced by vibrating objects. Students have experiences with sound pitch, sound volume, and instruments that produce musical sounds. They also engage in the engineering design process by designing and building musical instruments. Students gain experiences that will contribute to the understanding of the crosscutting concepts of patterns; cause and effect; systems and system models; and energy and matter.