Sound

Contents

Key Stage 1

We hear sound with our ears.

Meaning

Sound is something that we hear with our ears.

Singular Noun: Sound

Plural Noun: Sounds

Verb: Sound

About Sound

A sound can be loud or quiet.

A sound can be low or high pitched.

Examples

The sound of a mouse's squeak is very high pitched.	A tuba makes a deep or 'low pitched' sound.
Shouting, screaming and yelling are all loud sounds.	Whispering is a very quiet sound.

Key Stage 2

Meaning

Sound is a vibration that passes through the air to our ears.

About Sound

Sounds are caused by materials vibrating.

Sound travels through the air because it makes the air vibrate. If there were no sound could not travel to our ears.

Sounds can be high or low pitched.

Sounds can be loud or quiet.

Pitch

Size

The size of an instrument can affect the pitch. Bigger instruments make a lower pitch sound.

A small 'soprano' saxophone makes a high pitched sound.	An 'alto' saxophone makes the second highest pitch.	A tenor saxophone makes the second lowest pitch.	A large 'bass' saxophone makes a low pitched sound.

Thickness of Strings

Thicker strings make lower pitched sounds.

A regular guitar has thin strings and can make high pitched sounds.	A 'bass' guitar has thick strings and makes low pitched sounds.

Length of Strings

The shorter the strings, the higher pitched a sound.

The shorter strings on a harp make a higher pitched sound.

Tightness of Strings

The tighter the strings the higher pitched the sound.

The pegs on the end of a stringed instrument can make the strings tighter or looser.

Volume

The bigger the vibration, the louder the sound.

When you hit a drum hard, it makes a louder sound because the vibration is bigger.