Sound vibrations

Science

Travelling vibrations

Travelling sound

Reflecting and absorbing sound

Shadows

Reflecting light from mirrors

How we see things

Reflections in mirrors

In the Making images unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn that white light is made of different colours that can be detected by the eye, and how pinhole cameras and lenses form clear images.

In the Light and how it travels (Y6) unit, pupils learnt that light travels in straight lines, which explains why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them, and objects are seen by the light that reflects back into the eye or travels directly into it from a light source.

This unit explores sound and light waves, including frequencies, echoes, reflection, absorption, and the need for a medium for sound to travel. It also compares light and matter waves, investigates light transmission and colour, and examines wave properties and effects.

Sound, light and vision

How would you describe the sound of thunder?

How would you describe the sound of a mouse's squeak?

the air in our throat, mouth and nose vibrates

our voice box (larynx) controls how the vocal chords vibrate to make a sound

different sounds can be made by changing our mouth shape and tongue position

Starting with what happens first, sort the following statements in the correct order to describe how we speak.

Louder sounds are caused larger vibrations. What word describes the size of a vibration?

Making a guitar string tighter or shorter can make it vibrate more quickly. If a guitar string vibrates more times each second, it has a higher {{}}.

the size of a vibration from the rest position

Which of the following statements about sound are related to the frequency?

a regular, repeating back and forth movement

Match the following key words to the correct definition.

How many of the following can make a sound: a vibrating string, a vibrating drum skin or vibrating air in a tube.

Match the following volumes of sound to a description of how it could be made.

the pitch of the  sound would increase (a squeakier sound)

the pitch of the  sound would decrease (a deeper sound)

How would the sound of a wooden spoon hitting a pan change if the pan were hit harder?

plucking the strings on a guitar more gently

Which of the following can cause the pitch of a sound to change?

sound enters our heads through a tiny hole

Which of the following happen in our ears to allows us to hear a sound?

Sound vibrations

Lesson outcome