Firmly hold with one hand the end of a ruler over the edge of a table. Pull the other end down gently and listen to the sound. Then give the ruler a harder downward pull, and see if there is a difference in sound. Describe what you hear and explain the difference using the terms “energy,” “amplitude,” “intensity,” and “decibel.”


2. Take some time to listen to sounds in your environment. Make a list of ten sounds, ranking them from the highest pitch to the lowest. Write a couple of sentences describing whether this was easy or difficult and why. (Some of the sounds can come from tapping objects that vibrate or playing musical notes on an instrument.)