Lesson 3 of 6 · Sound

Experiment⭐ 30 XP

The Speed of Sound in Different Media

🧪Lab Brief #3

The Speed of Sound in Different Media.

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

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Mind = Blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

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Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

What You'll Learn

Sound travels at roughly 340 m/s in air, about 1,500 m/s in water and around 5,000 m/s in steel. The closer and more strongly bound the particles, the faster the disturbance passes along — the opposite of the pattern for light.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

stopwatch
long tape measure
large flat wall
open space

Safety First

Choose an open area away from traffic and go with an adult.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Stand a measured 100 m or more from a wall and clap in rhythm with the returning echo. Time twenty claps, work out the round-trip distance, and calculate the speed of sound. Compare with 340 m/s.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

Sound travels fastest through:

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

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Where you see this in real life

This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

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For the dinner table

“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

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