Year 4 Science: Volume and the strength of vibrations
Part of the Year 4 Science sound chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Volume and the strength of vibrations
Volume is how loud a sound is. The volume of a sound depends on the strength of the vibrations that make it. A big vibration, with a big swing, makes a loud sound. A small vibration, with a small swing, makes a quiet sound.
The table compares two taps on a drum.
| Tap | Size of the vibration | Loudness |
|---|---|---|
| a gentle tap on a drum | small | quiet |
| a hard hit on a drum | big | loud |
Key ideas
- Volume is how loud a sound is.
- A bigger vibration makes a louder sound.
- A smaller vibration makes a quieter sound.
- To make a louder sound, hit the drum harder.
Method. Read the table.
- Read the hard hit row. The hard hit row says the vibration is big.big
- Name the size. So a hard hit makes a big vibration.big
- Write the answer. big
Check. A hard hit swings the drum skin further. ✓
Method. Read the loudness column.
- Read the rows. The gentle tap has a small vibration and is quiet.quiet
- Name the quieter sound. So the gentle tap makes the quieter sound.gentle tap
- Write the answer. a gentle tap
Check. A small vibration makes a quiet sound. ✓
Method. Use the pattern.
- Use the pattern. A big vibration makes a loud sound.loud
- Write the answer. So the sound is loud.loud
- Write the answer. loud
Check. The big vibration is the loud one in the table. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a loud sound does not always have a high pitch. Loud and quiet describe the volume; high and low describe the pitch.
Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Tap a drum, or a tin with a spoon, with a grown-up. First tap gently, and then tap harder. Notice how far the drum skin or the tin moves when you touch it lightly. Keep your ears safe, and do not make sounds very close to anyone’s ears.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “Which tap moved the drum skin more? Which sound was louder?” Let your child link the size of the swing to the loudness.
Exercise 8D Volume and the strength of vibrations
Method. Read the key idea in section 8.4.
- Read the key idea. Volume is how loud a sound is.volume
- Write the answer. volume
Check. Volume is about loud and quiet. ✓
Method. Read the table in section 8.4.
- Read the gentle tap row. The gentle tap row says the vibration is small.small
- Write the answer. small
Check. A gentle tap moves the drum skin a little. ✓
Method. Read the table in section 8.4.
- Read the hard hit row. The hard hit row says the vibration is big.big
- Write the answer. big
Check. A hard hit makes a big swing. ✓
Method. Read the loudness column in section 8.4.
- Read the loudness column. The hard hit is loud, and the gentle tap is quiet.loud
- Write the answer. hard
Check. The hard hit is the loud one. ✓
Method. Read the key idea in section 8.4.
- Read the key idea. A bigger vibration makes a louder sound.louder
- Write the answer. louder
Check. Bigger means louder. ✓
Method. Read the table.
- Read the gentle tap row. The loudness for the gentle tap is quiet.quiet
- Write the answer. quiet
Check. The gentle tap has the small vibration. ✓
Method. Read the key idea in section 8.4.
- Read the key idea. A smaller vibration makes a quieter sound.quieter
- Decide. So a quiet sound is made with a small vibration, and the answer is yes.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. Small vibration, quiet sound. ✓
Method. Read the key idea in section 8.4.
- Read the key idea. A bigger vibration makes a louder sound.bigger
- Write the answer. big
Check. Big vibration, loud sound. ✓
Method. Think about the vibration.
- Think about the hit. A harder hit makes a bigger vibration.bigger vibration
- Decide. A bigger vibration makes a louder sound.louder
- Write the answer. louder
Check. Harder hits make louder sounds. ✓
Method. Read the key idea in section 8.4.
- Read the key idea. A bigger vibration makes a louder sound.bigger
- Decide. So a louder sound has bigger vibrations, and Priya is not right.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Loud sounds come from big vibrations. ✓
Method. Use the pattern.
- Think about the hit. A gentler hit makes a smaller vibration.smaller
- Write the prediction. So the sound should be quieter.quieter
- Write the answer. Accept any prediction that the sound gets quieter, because the vibration is smaller.
Check. Test it with a grown-up, using a gentle tap. ✓
Method. Think about the hit.
- Think about the hit. A harder hit makes the drum skin swing further.swing further
- Write the reason. A bigger vibration makes a louder sound.louder
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says a harder hit makes a bigger vibration, and a bigger vibration makes a louder sound.
Check. The size of the vibration sets the volume. ✓