Thursday 23 January 2014

How To Use Everyday Items To Make Animal Sounds




Do you know that you can make animal sounds using this sound machine? It's so easy to make! You only need 3 things that you can easily get at home. Here are the materials needed. A string 40cm long, a paper cup and a toothpick. 

First, make a hole at the bottom of the paper cup. Take a string and get it through the hole under the paper cup. Tie a toothpick to the end of the string that is in the paper cup. This activity requires you to observe the sound produced when you pull the strings. Get your finger tips wet before you pull your fingers down the string. Do you hear a sound? If yes, try to make sounds of animals such as a clucking hen or a gecko by squeezing it at the right tempo. The sound of animals can be imitated using this method.

Hear a hen clucking in this video!
Hear the sound of a gecko in this video!

Why is the sound coming from the cup louder? This is an example of how a sounding board works. The vibrations from the string would be almost silent without the cup, but when we add the cup, it spreads the vibrations and amplifies them (makes them louder). A piano for example uses wood to act as a sounding board that makes the instrument louder.

Did you know that grasshoppers are an example of animals that makes sounds by rubbing their body parts? Grasshoppers can be identified by their unique songs, which differ slightly from species to species. Male grasshoppers produce sounds to attract females.




So come over to Petrosains and have fun with our current theme, Nature's Kingdom!





Posted by Ayu
Learning Specialist, Petrosains





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