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Loud and quiet

Waves, sound and light · level 1, lesson 2 of 6

A question to start

Tap a drum gently, then hit it hard. What changes?

The idea

A hard hit makes the drum skin shake more: it moves further up and down. Bigger shakes make a louder sound. A gentle tap makes small shakes, and a quiet sound.

Sounds also get quieter as they spread out. The further away you are, the quieter a sound is.

quiet: small shakesloud: big shakes

Very loud sounds can hurt your ears. That is why people wear ear defenders near loud machines.

Worked examples

1. Talking and shouting. Shouting pushes more air through your throat, so it shakes more and the sound is louder.

2. A friend far away. Your friend's voice sounds quieter from across the park than from right next to you.

3. Ear defenders stop most of the shaking air from reaching your ears, so loud sounds seem quiet.

Try it

  1. How do you make a drum louder?
  2. Why does a shout sound louder than a whisper?
  3. Why does a sound get quieter as you walk away from it?
  4. Why do people wear ear defenders?
Answers
  1. Hit it harder, so it shakes more.
  2. Your throat shakes more when you shout.
  3. The sound spreads out as it travels.
  4. To protect their ears from very loud sounds.

Common mistake

"Loud sounds are high sounds." Loud and high are different. A big drum can be loud and low; a tiny bell can be quiet and high.

Where it leads