A song, a shout, a squeak, a smash: all of these make noise. They also create sound waves, which move the noise from its source to the ears of the people who hear it. So what are sound waves? How do they travel, and what would life be like without them?
This video provides a basic introduction to sound waves. Watch the segment as many times as you like, and read the video transcript if you want to. Then, answer the question in the Take Notes box at the bottom of the page.
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Squeaking. Squawking. Shouting. Smashing. Even when it's crickets, the world is full of noise.
Or to be more scientific, the world is full of vibrations, which travel in waves through some kind of medium.
Without a medium there would be no noise. Vibrations that become sound waves would have nowhere to go.
And those sounds of music would become sounds...of silence.
In this lesson you will learn some basic information about sound waves. You'll watch a short video and then three animations that explain how sound waves travel, and what characteristics they share. After taking notes and some online quizzes, you'll have a chance to review and organize what you've learned. Then you will produce your own project in which you will define and describe sound waves.
Use full sentences to answer the following questions:
1) What is a medium?
2) What are three examples of a medium?