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These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.

Sounds Good: Practicals

Four groups of practicals, produced by Institute of Physics (IOP), which help students to understand the properties of sound.

In addition to the guidance included for specific activities, please refer to the generic health and safety information before commencing any practical activity.

This resource is accompanied by the Teacher and technicians' guide for both the practicals and activity sheets.

[b]Sound bites[/b]
These investigations are designed to increase the understanding of the nature of sound.

[b]Seeing sound[/b]
These investigations provide a simple introduction to sound as vibrations in air and to the nature of waves. Students can work most successfully in groups of two or three as methods require more than one person. Bouncing rice and Using light to see sound are alternative methods to observe vibrations caused by sound and only one need be carried out. However, students could set up different methods and then swap round or demonstrate to each other.

[b]Tubular sounds[/b]
This activity could be carried out in a science club or as an end of term activity.

[b]Sounds better[/b]
This activity is designed to put physics and scientific technique to practical use in a context that many students might appreciate - changing their rooms to make their sound systems sound better, using principles applied by acoustic scientists to concert halls. As such, it will need to be largely undertaken out of class, but the ideas and findings can be aired in class discussions.The worksheets include instructions to report their findings but, if desired, the activity could be undertaken without formal assessment. Students should obtain permission from parent/guardian before carrying out this activity. An extension activity gives students the opportunity to assess real life auditoria.

Show health and safety information

Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

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