Websink Prep UKKS2 ScienceYear 4 chaptersScience textbooksYear 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5Year 6Year 7Year 8Year 9Browse allPast papersFind a tutorBecome a tutor
Primary Science · Year 4Chapter 8 · Sound
Year 4 · Chapter 8

Sound

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Say that sounds are made by things vibrating, and name what vibrates in some examples
  • Explain that vibrations travel through a solid, a liquid or a gas to the ear
  • Find the pattern between the length or thickness of an object and the pitch of its sound
  • Find the pattern between the size of a vibration and the loudness of a sound
  • Explain that sounds get fainter as you move further from the source
  • Use the table of results to answer questions about pitch, volume and distance

You should already know

  • Pushes, pulls and forces, and how a force can start something moving (Year 3 Science, Chapter 9)
  • Fair tests and measuring with a ruler (Year 4 Science, Chapter 1)

Where this leads

  • Electricity and circuits, which can make things produce sounds (Year 4 Science, Chapter 9)
  • Sound and vibrations in more detail, including how a sound wave travels (Year 6 Science)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 science, Year 4. Content: S1 identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating, S2 recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear, S3 find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it, S4 find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it, S5 recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases.

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhich part of the body do we use to hear? Write the word.
2
FWhat do we call a quick back-and-forth movement? Write the word.
3
FCan a magnet pull a steel paper clip across a small gap? Write yes or no.
4
FWhich is a liquid: water or air? Write the word.
5
FWhat is the name of the force that slows down moving things when two surfaces rub? Write the word.
8.1

How sounds are made

Year 4
S1: identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating
Video lesson: How sounds are madeComing soon
Story. Mo taps a drum with his hand. “Where does the sound come from?” he asks. Ms Chen puts her fingers lightly on the drum. “Feel that? The skin of the drum is shaking. That shaking is what makes the sound.”

Every sound is made by something vibrating. A vibration is a quick back-and-forth movement. When an object vibrates, it makes the air around it vibrate too, and the vibrations spread out as sound.

A sound stops when the vibrating object stops. Some vibrations are too small to see, but you can often feel them with your fingertips.

Plucked bandVibrating bandband at rest: no soundback and forth: sound
A rubber band over a box. At rest it makes no sound. When it swings back and forth, it vibrates and makes a sound.

The table gives four examples of sound-makers, and the thing that vibrates in each one.

Sound-makerWhat is vibrating
a drumthe skin of the drum
a guitar stringthe string
a person speakingthe voice box, in the throat
a ruler held on a table edgethe end of the ruler

Key ideas

  • Sounds are made by things vibrating.
  • A vibration is a quick back-and-forth movement.
  • A still object that is not vibrating does not make a sound.
  • You can often feel a vibrating object with your fingertips.
Worked example 8.1.1
In a drum, what is vibrating to make the sound? Write the words.

Method. Read the table in section 8.1.

  1. Find the drum row. The drum row says the skin of the drum is what vibrates.
    drum
  2. Name the vibrating part. So the skin of the drum is the thing that vibrates.
    the skin of the drum
  3. Write the answer.
    the skin of the drum

Check. Feel the drum skin while it sounds. ✓

Worked example 8.1.2
Is a sound made when an object is still? Write yes or no.

Method. Think about what makes a sound.

  1. Think about vibrations. A sound needs a vibrating object.
    vibrating
  2. Decide. A still object is not vibrating, so it makes no sound.
    no
  3. Write the answer.
    no

Check. Only vibrating objects make sounds. ✓

Worked example 8.1.3
When you speak, which part of the body vibrates? Write the words.

Method. Read the table in section 8.1.

  1. Find the speaking row. The speaking row says the voice box, in the throat.
    voice box
  2. Name the part. So the voice box in the throat is what vibrates.
    voice box
  3. Write the answer.
    the voice box, in the throat

Check. Put your fingers on your throat as you hum. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: the object that vibrates is not always the same as the thing you hear. The guitar string vibrates, and the body of the guitar vibrates too, so the sound is louder.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Hold a ruler on the edge of a table with a grown-up. Press one end down, and pull the other end back. Let go and feel the ruler shake. Keep your fingers away from the moving end.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “What is moving when you hear the sound? Can you feel it?” Let your child touch a drum or a ruler and say what they feel.

Exercise 8A  How sounds are made

1
FWrite the word for the quick back-and-forth movement that makes a sound.
2
FFill in the gap: sounds are made by ___ objects. Write the word.
3
FWhat vibrates in a guitar when it makes a sound? Write the word: string or box.
4
FWhen a person speaks, what vibrates in the throat? Write the words.
5
FDoes a still object that is not vibrating make a sound? Write yes or no.
6
FWhich of these makes a sound by vibrating: a ruler on the edge of a table, or a rock sitting still? Write the word: ruler or rock.
7
FIn the table in section 8.1, what vibrates when a ruler is held on a table edge? Write the words.
8
PSRuby says a sound is made when nothing moves. Is Ruby right? Write yes or no.
9
PSAli holds a rubber band and plucks it. What is vibrating? Write the words.
10
PSWorking scientifically. Predict what happens to the sound of a drum if you hold your hand firmly on its skin. Write one prediction with a reason.
11
RExplain how a sound is made, in one sentence.
8.2

How vibrations travel to the ear

Year 4
S2: recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear
Video lesson: How vibrations travel to the earComing soon
Story. Priya and Leo make a string telephone with two cups and a long piece of string. “I can hear you clearly,” says Leo, when the string is tight. “How does the sound get to my ear?” Mr Patel says, “The vibrations travel along the string.”

Sound needs a medium to travel through. A medium is a solid, a liquid or a gas. The vibrations pass through the medium, one part at a time, until they reach your ear.

When the vibrations reach your ear, they make the eardrum vibrate. You hear the sound because of this.

vibrations travel along the stringspeakerlistener
A string telephone. Vibrations travel along a tight string from one cup to the other cup.

The table gives one example of each type of medium.

MediumExample
solida wooden table, or a string
liquidwater
gasair

Key ideas

  • Vibrations travel through a medium to reach the ear.
  • A medium can be a solid, a liquid or a gas.
  • Sound travels through air, water and solids such as a wooden table.
  • A tight string carries the vibrations along it.
Worked example 8.2.1
Sound travels through a wooden table. What kind of medium is a wooden table? Write the word: solid, liquid or gas.

Method. Read the table in section 8.2.

  1. Find the table row. The solid row includes a wooden table.
    wooden table
  2. Name the medium. So a wooden table is a solid medium.
    solid
  3. Write the answer.
    solid

Check. Wood is a solid. ✓

Worked example 8.2.2
What part of the ear vibrates when the vibrations reach it? Write the word.

Method. Think about the inside of the ear.

  1. Think about the ear. The vibrations make a thin membrane in the ear move.
    membrane
  2. Name the part. That thin part is the eardrum.
    eardrum
  3. Write the answer.
    eardrum

Check. The eardrum is the part that vibrates in the ear. ✓

Worked example 8.2.3
Most sound reaches your ears through a gas around you. Write the name of that gas.

Method. Think about the air around you.

  1. Think about the air. Most sound reaches our ears through the air, which is a gas.
    gas
  2. Name the medium. So the medium is the air, which is a gas.
    gas
  3. Write the answer.
    air

Check. Air is a gas, and it is the usual medium for sound. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: sound needs a medium. It does not travel through empty space, where there is nothing to carry the vibrations.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Make a string telephone with two paper cups and a piece of string, with a grown-up. Keep the string tight. Take turns to speak into one cup, while the other person holds the other cup to their ear. Do not put the cups near anyone’s face.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “What is the sound travelling through? Where do the vibrations go?” Let your child name the medium each time, and say solid, liquid or gas.

Exercise 8B  How vibrations travel to the ear

1
FWhat do vibrations need to travel through to reach the ear? Write the word.
2
FWhich kind of medium is air: solid, liquid or gas? Write the word.
3
FWhich kind of medium is water: solid, liquid or gas? Write the word.
4
FWhich kind of medium is a wooden table: solid, liquid or gas? Write the word.
5
FWhat is the name of the part of the ear that vibrates when sound reaches it? Write the word.
6
FCan sound travel through a wooden table? Write yes or no.
7
FCan sound travel through water? Write yes or no.
8
FIn the string telephone, what carries the vibrations from one cup to the other? Write the word.
9
PSMo says sound cannot travel through a table. Is Mo right? Write yes or no.
10
PSWorking scientifically. Plan a safe test to show that a table carries vibrations. Write one thing you would do.
11
RExplain why the string telephone needs the string to be tight. Write one sentence.
8.3

Pitch and the object that makes the sound

Year 4
S3: find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it
Video lesson: Pitch and the object that makes the soundComing soon
Story. Yusuf holds a ruler over the edge of the table and makes it vibrate. “The sound is higher when the ruler sticks out less,” he says. Mr Patel says, “You have found a pattern. Let us test it, so we are sure.”

Pitch is how high or low a sound is. A high sound has a high pitch, and a low sound has a low pitch.

Pitch depends on how fast the object vibrates. Fast vibrations give a high pitch. Slow vibrations give a low pitch. The features of the object decide how fast it vibrates. A ruler with a long part over the edge vibrates slowly, so its pitch is low. A thin string pulled tight vibrates fast, so its pitch is high.

short overhanghigh pitchmedium overhangmiddle pitchlong overhanglow pitchthe longer the overhang, the lower the pitch
Three rulers over the edge of a table. The longer the part over the edge, the lower the pitch of the sound.

The table shows the three rulers from the picture, with the length hanging over the edge.

RulerLength hanging over the edgePitch of the sound
short overhang5 cmhigh
medium overhang10 cmmiddle
long overhang15 cmlow

Key ideas

  • Pitch is how high or low a sound is.
  • Fast vibrations make a high pitch; slow vibrations make a low pitch.
  • A longer part that vibrates makes a lower pitch.
  • A thin string, pulled tight, makes a higher pitch than a thick string pulled loose.
Worked example 8.3.1
Look at the table in section 8.3. Which overhang gives the highest pitch? Write the words.

Method. Find the high pitch.

  1. Read the table. The short overhang gives a high pitch.
    short overhang
  2. Name it. So the short overhang gives the highest pitch.
    short overhang
  3. Write the answer.
    short overhang

Check. Less overhang vibrates faster, so the pitch is higher. ✓

Worked example 8.3.2
A thin string is pulled tight. Is its pitch higher or lower than a thick string pulled loose? Write the word: higher or lower.

Method. Compare the two strings.

  1. Read the pattern. A thin string pulled tight makes a high pitch.
    high pitch
  2. Compare. A thick string pulled loose makes a low pitch, so the thin tight string is higher.
    higher
  3. Write the answer.
    higher

Check. Thin and tight strings vibrate faster. ✓

Worked example 8.3.3
In the table, how much longer is the long overhang than the short overhang? Write the number of centimetres.

Method. Subtract the shortest from the longest.

  1. Read the lengths. The long overhang is 15 cm, and the short overhang is 5 cm.
    15 and 5
  2. Subtract. 15 minus 5 is 10.
    15 - 5 = 10
  3. Write the answer.
    10

Check. Check: 5 plus 10 makes 15. ✓

Watch out. Subtract the smaller length from the larger one.

Watch out

Watch out: a high pitch is not the same as a loud sound. Pitch is about how high or low; loudness is about how big the vibration is.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Hold a ruler over the edge of a table, with a grown-up. Make it vibrate with a short overhang, and then with a long overhang. Say which one has the higher pitch. Keep your fingers away from the moving end.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “Which overhang is longer? Which pitch is higher?” Let your child predict the pattern before testing it.

Exercise 8C  Pitch and the object that makes the sound

1
FWhat is the word for how high or low a sound is? Write the word.
2
FLook at the table in section 8.3. Which overhang gives the lowest pitch? Write the words.
3
FLook at the table in section 8.3. Which overhang gives the highest pitch? Write the words.
4
FA thin string pulled tight: is its pitch higher or lower? Write the word.
5
FA thick string pulled loose: is its pitch higher or lower? Write the word.
6
FLook at the table in section 8.3. How long is the medium overhang? Write the number of centimetres.
7
FLook at the table in section 8.3. What is the difference between the longest and shortest overhang? Write the number of centimetres.
8
FFill in the gap: faster vibrations make a ___ pitch. Write the word: higher or lower.
9
PSA bottle with a lot of water in it has a higher or lower pitch than a bottle with a little water? Write the word.
10
PSRuby says a long overhang makes a higher pitch. Is Ruby right? Write yes or no.
11
PSWorking scientifically. Predict which ruler overhang will give the lowest pitch. Write one prediction with a reason.
12
RExplain why a thin string pulled tight has a higher pitch. Write one sentence.
8.4

Volume and the strength of vibrations

Year 4
S4: find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it
Video lesson: Volume and the strength of vibrationsComing soon
Story. Ruby taps a drum very gently, and then hits it hard. “The second sound is much louder,” she says. Mr Patel says, “Look at the drum skin. When you hit it hard, it swings much further.”

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.

small vibration: quietbig vibration: loud
Two waves. The small wave is for a quiet sound. The big wave, with bigger swings, is for a loud sound.

The table compares two taps on a drum.

TapSize of the vibrationLoudness
a gentle tap on a drumsmallquiet
a hard hit on a drumbigloud

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.
Worked example 8.4.1
Look at the table in section 8.4. What size of vibration does a hard hit make? Write the word: small or big.

Method. Read the table.

  1. Read the hard hit row. The hard hit row says the vibration is big.
    big
  2. Name the size. So a hard hit makes a big vibration.
    big
  3. Write the answer.
    big

Check. A hard hit swings the drum skin further. ✓

Worked example 8.4.2
Which sound is quieter, from a gentle tap or a hard hit? Write the words.

Method. Read the loudness column.

  1. Read the rows. The gentle tap has a small vibration and is quiet.
    quiet
  2. Name the quieter sound. So the gentle tap makes the quieter sound.
    gentle tap
  3. Write the answer.
    a gentle tap

Check. A small vibration makes a quiet sound. ✓

Worked example 8.4.3
A drum skin makes a big vibration. Is the sound loud or quiet? Write the word.

Method. Use the pattern.

  1. Use the pattern. A big vibration makes a loud sound.
    loud
  2. Write the answer. So the sound is loud.
    loud
  3. 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

1
FWhat is the word for how loud a sound is? Write the word.
2
FDoes a gentle tap give a small or big vibration? Write the word.
3
FDoes a hard hit give a small or big vibration? Write the word.
4
FWhich kind of tap is louder: gentle or hard? Write the word.
5
FFill in the gap: a bigger vibration makes a ___ sound. Write the word: louder or quieter.
6
FLook at the table in section 8.4. How loud is the gentle tap? Write the word: quiet or loud.
7
FIs a quiet sound made with a small vibration? Write yes or no.
8
FWhich size of vibration gives a loud sound? Write the word: small or big.
9
PSMo hits a drum twice as hard as before. Will the sound be louder or quieter? Write the word.
10
PSPriya says a louder sound has smaller vibrations. Is Priya right? Write yes or no.
11
PSWorking scientifically. Predict what happens to the loudness if you hit a drum more gently. Write one prediction with a reason.
12
RExplain why hitting a drum harder makes a louder sound. Write one sentence.
8.5

Distance from the sound source

Year 4
S5: recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases
Video lesson: Distance from the sound sourceComing soon
Story. Aisha stands next to the drum, and then walks away from it, one step at a time. “It is getting fainter,” she says. Mr Patel says, “The vibrations spread out in all directions, so less of the sound reaches you when you are further away.”

The sound source is the thing that makes the sound. When you move further away from the source, the sound gets fainter. This is because the vibrations spread out over a larger area, so less of the sound reaches you.

drum1 mloud5 mquieter10 mfaintsound gets fainter as the distance increases
A drum with three listeners at 1, 5 and 10 metres. The sound is loud at 1 metre, quieter at 5 metres and faint at 10 metres.

The table shows how the sound from one drum changes as the distance increases.

Distance from the drum (m)How the sound is
1loud
5quieter
10faint

Key ideas

  • The sound source is the thing that makes the sound.
  • Sounds get fainter as the distance from the source increases.
  • The loudest sound is the one nearest the source.
  • Vibrations spread out, so less of the sound reaches a listener who is further away.
Worked example 8.5.1
Look at the table in section 8.5. How far is the loudest listener from the drum? Write the number of metres.

Method. Read the table.

  1. Find the loud row. The loud sound is at 1 metre from the drum.
    1 metre
  2. Write the number. So the loudest listener is 1 metre away.
    1
  3. Write the answer.
    1

Check. The nearest listener hears the loudest sound. ✓

Worked example 8.5.2
How much further is the faint listener than the loud listener? Write the number of metres.

Method. Subtract the nearer distance from the further one.

  1. Read the distances. The faint listener is 10 metres away, and the loud one is 1 metre away.
    10 and 1
  2. Subtract. 10 minus 1 is 9.
    10 - 1 = 9
  3. Write the answer.
    9

Check. Check: 1 plus 9 makes 10. ✓

Worked example 8.5.3
As the distance from the drum increases, does the sound get louder or fainter? Write the word.

Method. Read the pattern.

  1. Read the table. The sound is loud at 1 metre, quieter at 5 metres and faint at 10 metres.
    faint
  2. Write the answer. So as the distance increases, the sound gets fainter.
    fainter
  3. Write the answer.
    fainter

Check. Sound gets fainter with distance. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a sound that is fainter is not a different sound. It is the same sound, with less of it reaching you because you are further away.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). With a grown-up, sit still and tap a drum or a tin gently, first close by, and then from further away across a room. Say whether the sound feels fainter further away. Keep your ears safe, and never make loud sounds close to anyone’s ears.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “Did the sound get fainter when you moved further away? Why?” Let your child explain the spreading out, in their own words.

Exercise 8E  Distance from the sound source

1
FLook at the table in section 8.5. How far is the quieter sound from the drum? Write the number of metres.
2
FLook at the table in section 8.5. How far is the faintest listener? Write the number of metres.
3
FHow much further is the faint listener than the loud listener? Write the number of metres.
4
FAs the distance from the source increases, does the sound get louder or fainter? Write the word.
5
FFill in the gap: sound gets ___ as the distance from the source increases. Write the word.
6
FIs 10 metres further from the drum than 1 metre? Write yes or no.
7
FWhich listener hears the loudest sound: the one at 1 metre, 5 metres or 10 metres? Write the number of metres.
8
PSAli stands 5 metres from a drum and then moves to 10 metres. Does the sound get louder or fainter? Write the word.
9
PSRuby says the sound is loudest far from the drum. Is Ruby right? Write yes or no.
10
PSWorking scientifically. Plan a fair test on how distance affects a sound. Write one thing that must stay the same each time.
11
RExplain why a sound is faint when you are far from its source. Write one sentence.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
How sounds are madeSounds are made by things vibrating, which means moving back and forth quickly.
How sound travelsVibrations travel through a medium, a solid, a liquid or a gas, to the ear, and make the eardrum vibrate.
PitchFast vibrations give a high pitch. A longer part that vibrates, or a thick loose string, gives a lower pitch.
VolumeA bigger vibration makes a louder sound. A smaller vibration makes a quieter sound.
DistanceSounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases, because the vibrations spread out.

Can you…?

  • I can say that sounds are made by vibrating things
  • I can name a medium that vibrations travel through, and say whether it is a solid, a liquid or a gas
  • I can find the pattern between the length of a ruler over an edge and the pitch
  • I can find the pattern between the size of a vibration and the loudness of a sound
  • I can say that sounds get fainter with distance from the source

Key terms

vibration
a quick back-and-forth movement
medium
the solid, liquid or gas that sound travels through
eardrum
the thin part inside the ear that vibrates when sound reaches it
pitch
how high or low a sound is
volume
how loud a sound is
sound source
the thing that makes a sound
string telephone
two cups joined by a tight string, which carries sound along the string

Exercise 8Z  Check-up

1
What vibrates when a drum makes a sound? Write the words.
2
Which kind of medium is a wooden table: solid, liquid or gas? Write the word.
3
What is the name of the part of the ear that vibrates? Write the word.
4
Look at the table in section 8.3. Which overhang gives the highest pitch? Write the words.
5
Fill in the gap: faster vibrations make a ___ pitch. Write the word: higher or lower.
6
Look at the table in section 8.4. Which kind of tap is louder: gentle or hard? Write the word.
7
A drum skin makes a big vibration. Is the sound loud or quiet? Write the word.
8
Look at the table in section 8.5. How far is the faint listener from the drum? Write the number of metres.
9
Ali stands 1 metre from a drum, and Ruby stands 5 metres away. Who hears the louder sound? Write the name.
10
Explain why sound does not travel through empty space. Write one sentence.

Total 16 marks. Allow about 16 minutes.

Exercise 8X  Practice test questions

1
FWhat is the name of the quick back-and-forth movement that makes a sound? Write the word.[1 mark]
2
FWhich part of the body vibrates when you speak? Write the words.[1 mark]
3
FSound travels through a wooden table. Is the table a solid, a liquid or a gas? Write the word.[1 mark]
4
FWrite the word for the part of the ear that vibrates when sound reaches it.[1 mark]
5
FA short overhang of a ruler gives a high pitch, and a long overhang gives a low pitch. Write the word for how high or low a sound is.[1 mark]
6
FA ruler has 5 cm hanging over the edge of a table. Another ruler has 15 cm hanging over the edge. Which one has the lower pitch? Write the number of centimetres.[2 marks]
7
FAli hits a drum gently, and then very hard. Which hit makes the louder sound? Write the word: gentle or hard.[2 marks]
8
FA person stands 1 metre from a drum, and another stands 10 metres away. Which person hears the fainter sound? Write the number of metres.[2 marks]
9
RWrite one reason why the sound of a drum is quieter for a person far away than for a person close to it.[2 marks]
10
RExplain how a string telephone carries sound from one cup to the other. Write one sentence.[3 marks]
← Chapter 7: Changing state and the water cycleChapter 9: Electricity and circuits →

Websink Prep UK is an independent site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, Eduqas, CCEA, SQA, GL Assessment, CEM or the Department for Education. All exam board names and trademarks belong to their owners. Past papers are linked from the exam boards' own websites and are not hosted here.

About Websink Prep UK · Find a tutor · Privacy · Terms · Cookie settings