Amplitude, Intensity and Energy

Lab Brief #4

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

What you'll learn

Amplitude is the maximum displacement from rest. The energy a wave carries goes with amplitude squared, so doubling the amplitude of a sound quadruples its energy — but our ears perceive loudness roughly logarithmically, which is why decibels are used.

Key words

amplitude
The maximum displacement of a wave from its rest position.
decibel
A logarithmic unit for comparing sound intensities.

Make a hypothesis first

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

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

phone with oscilloscope app
musical instrument or speaker

⚠️ Safety first

Keep the volume moderate — prolonged loud sound damages hearing.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "amplitude" and "decibel" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Record the same note played softly and loudly using a phone oscilloscope app. Measure both amplitudes on screen and compare the ratio with the decibel change the app reports.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

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

Step 4 of 4 · Record

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

Question 1 of 2

Doubling a wave's amplitude changes the energy it carries by a factor of:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

Amplitude is measured from:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

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

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

Next: The Electromagnetic Spectrum All lessons

🎯

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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