sound

Below are links to Science Learning Hub resources related to sound in the Physical World strand of the New Zealand...

This article provides an overview of sound. It gives a brief summary of the following topics: characteristics of sound waves how the human ear works hearing...

When two or more sound waves occupy the same space, they affect one another. This is known as sound wave interference. Sound waves combine by simple...

Sound waves are longitudinal or compression waves that transmit sound energy from the source of the sound to an observer. Sound waves are typically drawn as...

A full-sized acoustic piano is able to play 88 distinct notes. When you press a key on the piano, a number of things happen inside the...

Sound is a form of energy that is caused by the vibration of matter. Sound is transmitted through waves, which travel through solids, liquids and gases....

A standing wave is the combination of two waves that are moving in opposite directions. Standing waves are typically formed in situations where a wave is...

Travel under the waves to the reefs of New Zealand to explore sound and noise – what sound is, how it travels, what changes under water...

Dr Paul Teal, a senior lecturer in the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Victoria University, is part of an international research team that in...

The five sensory ‘gatekeepers’ of our bodies – taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing – help us survive. Every day, our ears, nose, tongue, eyes and...

Position: Professor, Principal Investigator Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland. Field: Marine science. Professor John Montgomery is the former Director of the of Leigh...

Hearing is the ability to detect sound. Human hearing The most obvious part of the human auditory system is the ear. This large protuberance on the...

Sound is a pressure wave caused when something vibrates, making particles bump into each other and then apart. The particles vibrate back and forth in the...

Sound is a pressure wave, but this wave behaves slightly differently through air as compared to water. Water is denser than air, so it takes more...

Three components are needed for sound to be heard: A source – where the sound is made. A medium – something for the sound to travel...

If someone dropped you off several kilometres from your house, how would you know where you are and how would you find your way home? Chances...

Kina are a particular species of sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. Most of us can identify a kina shell found on a beach as a...

The reefs of New Zealand are noisy places, not the silent world that many of us imagine. The animals that live on reefs, such as shrimp,...

The noisy reef takes us under the waves to the reefs of New Zealand to explore sound and noise under water. Using this unique habitat, we...

An inquiry approach is a method often used in science education. The question bank provides an initial list of questions about how underwater animals use sound...

Position: Associate Professor, Leigh Marine Laboratory, The University of Auckland Field: Marine science and physiology Craig Radford trained as a marine biologist and physiologist before joining...

The ears are responsible for hearing sounds and for balance in the human body. The ear has three parts – the outer, middle and inner ears....

Jamie Fenton, a 17-year-old from Taranaki, invented a traffic light device to help prevent preschoolers going deaf at childcare centres. The noise level meter is now...

All musical instruments work by making vibrations. We make sounds by actions such as striking, blowing, plucking, swinging, shaking or scraping the instruments. Individual instruments have...

To create a sound, there needs to be movement. That’s because sound is a form of energy. This activity uses a model of a pūrerehua (or...