Learning About Sound with the Use of Tuning Forks
Standard VI: Students will understand properties and behavior of heat, light, and sound.
Objective 3: Describe the production of sound in terms of vibration of objects that create
vibrations in other materials.
Indicators:
a. Describe how sound is made from vibration and moves in all directions from the
source in waves.
b. Explain the relationship of the size and shape of a vibrating object to the pitch of the
sound produced.
c. Relate the volume of a sound to the amount of energy used to create the vibration of
the object producing the sound.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
I.
Use Science Process and Thinking Skills
a. Observe simple objects, patterns, and events, and report their observations.
b. Sort and sequence data according to criteria given. (patterns)
c. Compare things, processes and events. (similarities and differences)
d. Plan and conduct simple experiments.
e. Use data to construct a reasonable conclusion.
I. Musical Rulers
Materials:
 12-inch ruler plastic ruler
 Table top edge
Procedure:
1. Put the plastic ruler at the edge of the table at the 10” mark with
the 1” mark hanging over the edge.
2. Holding the ruler with one hand on the table, push the other side of
the ruler down with your other hand a few inches and let it go.
3. Observe the vibration of the ruler and the sound it makes. Write in
your journal your observations.
4. Now, more the ruler in an inch (9” mark) and repeat #2 and #3
5. Keep doing this with the ruler until you can’t press it down any
more.
6. Fill in the questions on the worksheet.
II. Making a Splash
Material:
 A tuning fork (below middle C)
 E tuning fork (above middle C)
 C tuning fork (one octave higher than middle C)
 Bowl of water
 Colored paper
Procedure:
1.
2.
Put the bowl of water on a colored piece of paper.
With one of the tuning forks, hit it so it vibrates.
Quickly put it in the water. Observe what it does. Measure how
far the water splashes out.
3.
Repeat #2 with each tuning fork.
4.
Fill out the worksheet.
III. Ping-pong Ball Vibrations
Materials:
 A tuning fork (below middle C)
 E tuning fork (above middle C)
 C tuning fork (one octave higher than middle C)
 Ping-pong ball
 String
 Cellophane Tape
Procedure:
1. Tape the string onto the ping-pong ball with cellophane tape.
2. With one of the tuning forks, hit it so it vibrates. With the ping-pong
ball hanging in the air, quickly put the tuning fork against the pingpong ball. Write down what you observe. Try to measure the
distance it travels on its biggest bounce.
3. Repeat #2 with each tuning fork.
4. Fill out the worksheet.
IV.
Dancing Rice
Materials:
 A tuning fork (below middle C)
 E tuning fork (above middle C)
 C tuning fork (one octave higher than middle C)
 Small plastic cup
 Balloon, 9-inch
 Rice
Procedure:
1. Cut the neck of a 9-inch balloon. Stretch it over the mouth of the
plastic cup.
2. Put a few grains of rice on the balloon.
3. Hit one of the tuning forks and put it against the plastic cup near the
top. Write down what you observe.
4. Repeat #3 with each tuning fork.
5. Fill out the worksheet.
MUSICAL RULERS
Materials:
 12-inch ruler plastic ruler
 Table top edge
Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Put the plastic ruler at the edge of the table at the 10” mark
with the 1” mark hanging over the edge.
Holding the ruler with one hand on the table, push the other
side of the ruler down with your other hand a few inches and let it go.
Observe the vibration of the ruler and the sound it makes.
Write in your journal your observations.
Now, more the ruler in an inch (9” mark) and repeat #2 and
#3.
Keep doing this with the ruler until you can’t press it down
any more.
Fill out this worksheet as you do the experiment.
Answer the questions.
Inch Mark
Observations
Questions
1. What did you observe each time you moved the ruler to another
inch mark?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2. What are some similarities that you noticed?
______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
3. What are some differences that you noticed?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. Why do you think there were changes each time you moved the
ruler to another inch mark?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
6. What conclusion(s) can you come up with as about this
experiment?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Making a Splash
Material:
 A tuning fork (below middle C)
 E tuning fork (above middle C)
 C tuning fork (one octave higher than middle C)
 Bowl of water
 Colored paper
Procedure:
1.
2.
Put the bowl of water on a colored piece of paper.
With one of the tuning forks, hit it so it vibrates.
Quickly put it in the water. Observe what it does. Measure how
far the water splashes out.
3.
Repeat #2 with each tuning fork.
4.
Fill out the worksheet.
Tuning Fork
“E” Below Middle C
“A” Above Middle C
“C” on octave higher
than Middle C
Observations
Questions
1. What did you observe each time you put a tuning fork in the
bowl of water?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2. What are some similarities that you noticed with all the tuning
forks?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3. What are some differences that you noticed with all the tuning
forks?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. Why do you think there were changes each time you used
another tuning fork?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
5. What conclusion(s) can you come up with as about this
experiment?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Ping-pong Ball Vibrations
Materials:






A tuning fork (below middle C)
E tuning fork (above middle C)
C tuning fork (one octave higher than middle C)
Ping-pong ball
String
Cellophane Tape
Procedure:
1.
2.
Tape the string onto the ping-pong ball with cellophane tape.
With one of the tuning forks, hit it so it vibrates. With the ping-pong ball
hanging in the air, quickly put the tuning fork against the ping-pong ball. Write
down what you observe. Try to measure the distance it travels on its biggest
bounce.
3.
Repeat #2 with each tuning fork.
4.
Fill out the worksheet.
Tuning Fork
“E” Below Middle C
“A” Above Middle C
“C” on octave higher
than Middle C
Observations
Questions
1.
What did you observe each time you put the tuning
fork next to the ping-ball ball?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2.
What are some similarities that you noticed with all
the tuning forks?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3.
What are some differences that you noticed with all
the tuning forks?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. Why do you think there were changes each time you used
another tuning fork?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
5. What conclusion(s) can you come up with as about this
experiment?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Dancing Rice
Materials:
 A tuning fork (below middle C)
 E tuning fork (above middle C)
 C tuning fork (one octave higher than middle C)
 Small plastic cup
 Balloon, 9-inch
 Rice
Procedure:
1.
Cut the neck of a 9-inch balloon. Stretch it over the mouth of
the plastic cup.
2.
3.
Put a few grains of rice on the balloon.
Hit one of the tuning forks and put it against the plastic cup
near the top. Write down what you observe.
4.
Repeat #3 with each tuning fork.
Tuning Fork
“E” Below Middle C
“A” Above Middle C
“C” on octave higher
than Middle C
Observations
Questions
2.
What did you observe each time you put the tuning fork next
the cup with rice on the balloon?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3.
What are some similarities that you noticed with all the
tuning forks?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4.
What are some differences that you noticed with all the
tuning forks?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. Why do you think there were changes each time you used
another tuning fork?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
5. What conclusion(s) can you come up with as about this
experiment?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________