Sound vibrations
I can describe how sounds are caused and explain what sets the volume and pitch of a sound.
Sound vibrations
I can describe how sounds are caused and explain what sets the volume and pitch of a sound.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- All sounds are caused by vibrations. Some vibrations are too small or too fast to see.
- The volume of a sound means how loud or quiet it is. The pitch of a sound means how high or low it is.
- Amplitude is a measure of the distance or size of a vibration. The greater the amplitude, the louder a sound.
- Frequency is a measure of how often the vibrations occur. The greater the frequency, the higher the pitch.
- Sounds of different volume and pitch can be produced by controlling the amplitude and frequency of vibrations.
Keywords
Volume - Describes the loudness of a sound.
Pitch - Describes how high or low a note is.
Vibration - A repeated back and forth movement.
Amplitude - Measures the size of a vibration, i.e. how far an object vibrates.
Frequency - The number of vibrations that occur every second.
Common misconception
Pupils often do not use the concept of vibrations to explain the source of a sound, if the vibrations are not obvious, such as vibrating air in a wind instrument or from two stones knocked together.
Include examples of sounds caused by vibrations that are not caused by something that is obviously vibrating, such as a string in a stringed instrument.
To help you plan your year 7 science lesson on: Sound vibrations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 science lesson on: Sound vibrations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Sound, light and vision unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Detailed in the Additional Materials (teacher and technican notes).
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
how high or low the note of a sound is
a regular, repeating back and forth movement
how loud or quiet a sound is
a guitar string plucked normally
a guitar sting plucked very gently
a guitar plucked with a lot of force