Good Vibrations

Sound is produced by something vibrating. Sound travels through air (gas), liquids, and solids. When any object vibrates, it causes movement in the air particles. These particles bump into the particles close to them, causing them to vibrate and bump into more particles. This movement keeps going until it runs out of energy. A sound vibration spreads out in all directions from its source, like ripples in a pond.

Seismologists send vibrations into the earth using a vibrating truck called a thumper truck. The vibrations move through the rock layers to help locate oil and natural gas.

In this lesson, students will use the scientific method to conduct experiments and create models in order to understand the concept of sound energy as it relates to vibration.