New
New
Year 4

How vibrations travel

I can recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear.

New
New
Year 4

How vibrations travel

I can recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Sounds are heard when vibrations travel from the object through a medium to our ear.
  2. Vibrations create sound waves which are not visible in the air, but we can use diagrams to show how they travel.
  3. A medium can be a solid, a liquid, or a gas, such as a wall, water, or the air.
  4. Sound cannot be heard in outer space as there is no air, therefore no medium for sound to travel through.

Common misconception

Children may think that sound travels only to the person that hear it, directly from the sound source to their ear.

Ensure opportunities for children to draw diagrams of how they think sound travels, and then revisit the diagrams to make improvements or amendments with further learning.

Keywords

  • Vibrations - Vibrations are when an object moves very fast from side to side.

  • Medium - Vibrations need a medium to travel, such as a solid, liquid or gas.

  • Diagram - A diagram is a simplified drawing of information.

  • Sound waves - Vibrations travel in sound waves which spread out in all directions.

Equipment

Paper and pencils to draw diagrams of how vibrations travel.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is a solid?
Correct answer: wood
water
oil
Q2.
Which of the following are examples of a gas?
Correct answer: air
Correct answer: water vapour
plastic
Q3.
Which of the following are examples of a liquid?
Correct answer: apple juice
Correct answer: milk
Correct answer: rain
Q4.
How are sounds made?
Correct answer: When an object vibrates
When an object stays still
Only by a musical instrument
Q5.
What part of the body do we use to hear with?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: ears, ear, our ears, your ears
Q6.
Which of the following ways can we make a sound?
standing still
Correct answer: tapping something
Correct answer: speaking

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the medium to the example.
Correct Answer:solid,paper for drawing

paper for drawing

Correct Answer:liquid,oil for cooking

oil for cooking

Correct Answer:gas,helium for a balloon

helium for a balloon

Q2.
Our eardrums to allow us to hear sounds.
Correct Answer: vibrate, vibrates
Q3.
Vibrations create sound waves which travel to our ears. How can we explain what sound waves are to other people?
we can see sound waves in the air.
we can feel sound waves in the air.
Correct answer: we can draw a diagram of sound waves in the air.
Q4.
Why can sound not be heard in outer space?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: There is no air in outer space for sound waves to travel through.
It's too far away for sounds to travel.
An astronaut's helmet blocks out the sound waves.
Q5.
How do we know vibrations exist if we can't see them?
We can sometimes taste the vibrations.
Correct answer: We can sometimes feel the vibrations.
Correct answer: We can sometimes see their effect on something.
Q6.
How do sounds travel through different mediums?
Sounds travel in dotted lines.
Sounds travel on clouds.
Correct answer: Sounds travel in sound waves.