Using a home-built hydrophone, pupils investigate how things sound in water. Learners listen to sounds created in air and then compare that to the same sound picked up by the hydrophone. Individuals compare the loudness and the pitch of the sounds in each medium.

Concepts

sound waves, water, sound, sound effects, sound vibrations

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Ask the class to come up with other sounds to listen to, such as fish
• Have upper grades perform mathematical calculations of the difference in the sound waves traveling in air and water

Classroom Considerations

• Requires constructing a hydrophone before the activity, either by the teacher or advanced class members

Pros

• Provides pictures to illustrate the building process
• Includes suggestions for extensions along with other activities

Cons

• None