Lesson 12 of 16 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopLoud and Quiet, High and Low
Engineering and Design.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Constraints make you more creative, not less.
Mind = Blown
🌉 The Eiffel Tower can grow 6 inches taller in summer because metal expands when hot.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you test: how many tries until it works?
What You'll Learn
How hard something vibrates sets how loud the sound is; how fast it vibrates sets how high it is. A short, tight string vibrates quickly and sounds high, which is why the thin strings on a guitar are the high ones.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- open box
- elastic bands of different thickness
- ruler
Safety First
- Elastic bands can snap back — wear eye protection and do not overstretch them.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Stretch elastic bands of different thickness over an open box and pluck each. Sort them by pitch, then pluck one gently and hard and describe which property changed each time.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2A faster vibration makes a sound that is:
Where you see this in real life
Your phone, your bike, your shoes — all designed with this idea.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Build something — anything — out of stuff in your recycling bin.
For the dinner table
“What's something around the house you'd redesign — and how?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Ready?
Loud and Quiet, High and Low
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
Full screen — no distractions
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