Sound: The Wiggle Wizard!

Hello, Future Scientist!

Did you know sound is a wiggly wonder? When you clap your hands—clap!—it sends tiny waves through the air, like ripples on a puddle. Those waves wiggle your eardrums, and that’s how you hear the sound. Cool, right?

Sound is invisible, but it’s super strong. It can wiggle the air, your ears, and even other things! When you shout, sing, or tap a table, you’re making waves that travel to everyone around you. Your ears catch those wiggles and tell your brain, “Hey, I hear something!”

Next time you hear a bird or a bell, imagine the air wiggling all the way to you. Sound is a sneaky mover!

Try This Sound Wiggle Experiment!

Want to see sound wiggle something? Let’s try it!

What You Need:

• A balloon (blow it up a little—ask a grown-up to help)
• A small handful of rice or tiny sprinkles
• A metal pot or pan
• A spoon

What to Do:

1. Put the rice or sprinkles on top of the balloon (hold it steady so they don’t fall off).
2. Hold the balloon close to the pot, but don’t let it touch.
3. Tap the pot with the spoon—make a loud “bang!”
4. Watch the rice or sprinkles. Do they wiggle or bounce?

What You’ll See:

When you tap the pot, the rice or sprinkles jump and dance on the balloon! That’s the sound waves from the bang wiggling the air and pushing the balloon a tiny bit.

Why It Works:

Sound makes tiny waves that move the air. Those waves hit the balloon and make it wiggle, bouncing the rice.

It’s like sound giving everything a little shake!

You’re a sound scientist now! Clap, tap, or shout, and imagine the wiggles flying to your ears.

What’s your favorite sound to make?