Question
What is sound? Prove by an experiment that the vibration of a source is required to produce sound.
Answer
Sound is a mechanical wave that travels through a medium, such as air, water, or solids. It is produced by the vibration of a source, such as a vocal cord, guitar string, or drum.
Experiment to prove that the vibration of a source is required to produce sound:
- Take a tuning fork and strike it against a hard surface.
- While the tuning fork is vibrating, hold the end of the fork near a piece of paper.
- Blow gently across the paper.
- You should see a wavy line on the paper.
This experiment shows that the vibrating tuning fork produces sound waves that travel through the air and cause the paper to vibrate. If you stop the tuning fork from vibrating, the sound will stop and the paper will no longer vibrate.
