How Sound works?

As part of our switched onto science inquiry work we have started to look, or rather listen to sounds and to think about how sound works. How do we hear? How is sound made? How does sound travel? 

After talking and sharing our ideas about sounds we spent a minute in silence listening to sounds around us, both in and outside the classroom.

We then listened to some instruments being played and talked about how the sound is made on each of the instruments. 

Some of us thought sounds were made by vibrations. We took this opportunity to see how vibrations might work.

Each table took a tray of water and had a turn dropping a small, light object into the water. Then we tried heavier things. What did we notice? 

" We saw ripples." 

"The water was moving."

"The water is vibrating."

"Wobbly water."

"Little wrinkles in the water."

"We heard plop."

"There were bubbles."

We then made some balloon amplifiers.  

You might like to try this at home together. Take one blown up balloon and place it against your ear. Tap it gently on the other side of the balloon. Try talking into the balloon while it is up against someone's ear.

What happens? Why do you think this is happening?