Lesson 51 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopSound Waves and Vibrations (Part 3)
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
Waves transfer energy without transferring matter. Transverse waves (like light) vibrate perpendicular to the direction of travel. Longitudinal waves (like sound) vibrate parallel.
Key Words
- observation
- conclusion
Materials Needed
- cardboard
- tape
- scissors
- straws
- paper clips
Safety First
- Work in a well-ventilated area when using vinegar or other strong-smelling substances.
- Dispose of materials properly after the experiment.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Build a working anemometer using paper cups and straws. Calibrate it by counting rotations in a known wind speed.
Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.
Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
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.
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