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Ingenium Canada Science and Technology Museum

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Insulating Sound

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Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday
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1867 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, ON
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Browse all Visitor Information for Canada Science and Technology Museum
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Insulating Sound

Insulating Sound
Download activity PDF

Sound is made of waves in the air that are caused by a vibration. In this activity, find out what happens if you make it harder for sound waves to reach your ears.

What you need

  • Paper
  • Pen or pencil
  • Small box or container
  • Something that produces sound at a steady volume (e.g., a phone playing music, a toy, a timer)
  • Insulating materials (e.g., bubble wrap, tissue paper, newspaper, fabric, egg cartons)

Make it

  1. Prepare an observation chart like the one below. In the left-hand column, write down a list of all the insulation materials you’ve collected. Include “empty” at the top of the list.

    Scroll to the right to view more of the table.

    Material Sound level (1-5)
    Empty 5
    Newspaper  
       
  2. Before you begin testing, make some predictions! Which materials do you think will block the most sound? What material will block the least sound?

Test it

  1. Place the noisemaker inside the empty box or container, then close the lid. We’re going to rate how loud each trial is on a scale of 1–5, from quietest to loudest. This round will be the loudest, so mark its loudness level as a 5. No sound at all would be a 1 on this scale.
  2. Wrap the noisemaker in one of your insulation materials and close the lid. How loud does it sound in comparison to the empty box? Rate the sound level on the 1–5 scale.
  3. Repeat step 2 for all of your materials, then take a look at your observations. Which trials were the loudest? Which were the quietest?

Explain it

Sound is caused by something vibrating and creating waves in the air. When we create a barrier around something that produces sound (insulating it), the sound must pass through the material to reach our ears. This changes the way the waves can move, causing the sound to be quieter. Certain materials – such as those that are thicker – are harder to pass through. Why do you think you got the results that you did for each of your materials?

Observe It

Loud noises can not only be annoying, but also damaging to the ear. Since they can’t always be avoided, the earplug was invented using the principles of insulation! The foamy material of an earplug creates a barrier between you and the loud sound, quieting it before it reaches your sensitive eardrum. The next time you’re at a loud event or trying to ignore someone’s snoring, pop in earplugs and let them insulate the sound.

Go further

Try combining different materials to see what happens. Can you completely block out the sound?

Insulating sound materials
box with no insulation
box with insulation

Program Details

SCITECH
Canada Science and Technology Museum
Duration
10 minutes
Program Location
Online
  • View all programs at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
  • View other programs related to Sciences, Communications

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About Canada Science and Technology Museum

Canada Science and Technology Museum
The Canada Science and Technology Museum tells Canada's innovation story in an immersive, educational, and fun way.
Read more about the museum

Contact Us

Canada Science and Technology Museum
1867 St Laurent Blvd
Ottawa ON K1G 5A3
Canada

613-991-3044
1-866-442-4416
contact@IngeniumCanada.org
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  • Plan Your Visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Hours
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    • Browse All Visitor Information
    • Buy Tickets
    • Online Resources for Science at Home
    • About the Museum
  • What's On at the Museum
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Spaces and Studios
  • Bookings and Rentals
    • School Programs
    • Birthday Parties
    • Summer Camps
    • Venue Rentals
    • Travelling Exhibitions
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Group Visits
  • Educational Programs
    • School Programs
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Program Location
      • At the Museum
      • At Your School
      • Online
      • Browse all Educational Programs
    • Popular Links
      • 3D Educational Resources
      • Digital Learning Kits
      • Games and Apps
      • Online Resources for Science at Home
      • Tell Me About
      • Try This Out
  • Collection and Research
    • Research Institute
    • Research Projects
    • Collection Resources
      • Ingenium Collection
      • Collection Highlights
      • Conservation and Collection Services
    • Library and Archives
      • Library and Archives Services
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    • Open Access
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  • Projects and Initiatives
    • Ingenium Channel
    • Curiosity on Stage
    • Women in STEM
    • Aquatic Science Initiatives
    • Climate Science
    • Innovation Storybook