Weak and strong vibrations
The volume of a sound is how loud or quiet the sound is.
Sounds are vibrations that travel through the air.
A nail hit hard with a hammer will make a strong vibration, which means it will make a loud sound.
A nail hit gently with a hammer will make a weak vibration, which means it will make a quiet sound.
Watch: Understanding the volume of sound
Explore the different vibrations that produce loud and quiet noises.
Scientist: Today I would like to explain volume.
Sounds are…
Excuse me. Could you keep the noise down please? I'm trying to do an important talk.
Builder: Well yeah alright mate but I've got to get this fixed, you know what I mean?
Scientist: Sounds are of course vibrations that travel through the air. But what…I'm sorry about this.
That's better. Where was I? Ah yes.
What makes the difference between a quiet sound and a loud sound?
Well, it's all to do with the strength of the vibration.
A weak vibration makes a gentle sound wave which doesn't travel very far.
Be quiet!
A vibration with lots of energy makes a very powerful wave.
Watch: How to amplify your voice
Here's what you need to know about making noises louder.
Activity 1: Quiz
Activity 2: Recording noises
What object around you right now is capable of making a loud noise?
Record the object making that noise.
If your recording device shows the sound waves, take a look and write down what they look like. If not, describe the vibration that is making the sound.
Activity 3: Tune booster
Discover how to investigate volume with this practical activity from the Science Museum Group.
Tune Booster
Boost the volume of your tunes with this tune booster activity from the Science Museum Group.
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