Continue with Microsoft TeamsHow Sound Travels
Vocabulary
Read the vocabulary terms to understand the reading better.
Absorb
To absorb is to take in or soak up.
Echo
An echo is the repetition of a sound caused by sound waves bouncing off a surface.
Echolocation
Echolocation is when an animal sends sounds that bounce off surfaces to tell them where objects are.
Energy
Energy is the ability to do work or to make something move or change in some way.
Reflection
Reflection occurs when light travelling through one material bounces off a different material.
Surface
The surface is the outside or top part of something.
Reflected Sound
Have you ever heard an echo? An echo is sound reflecting, or bouncing off, a surface. Light will reflect off a mirror. Sound will reflect off a surface, too. Sound will keep bouncing around until it loses its energy.
Some animals use sound in a special way. Bats and whales send out sounds that bounce off surfaces. The echoes tell them where the objects are. Using sound in this way is called echolocation.
Absorbed Sound
Can you stop sound from travelling far? Can you stop sound from reflecting? Can you make sound quieter? Materials that are not smooth or hard can help you do these things.
Have you ever been in an empty house that no one lives in? You probably noticed a lot of echoes. Soft materials absorb sound. They stop echoes. An empty house has no soft materials to absorb the sound. Adding carpets, furniture, and drapes helps quiet the sound.
Show What You Know!
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