GOOD VIBRATIONS -
THE SCIENCE OF SOUND

We're surrounded by sound and our ears are bombarded by noise but do you know how sound is made and how it travels? It's all to do with vibrations of course. Experiment with odd musical instruments, find out how your vocal cords work, puzzle your brain with sound illusions and watch your voice on a computer screen.

What do I need to hire the Sound exhibits?

• A gallery with approximately 100 sq metres of open floorspace (no less than 75 sq metres)
• 10 plug sockets.
• The exhibition must be supervised at all times when in use, preferably by staff accustomed to working in an interactive environment.

Costs
Hire cost £410 + VAT per week
Delivery and installation - depends on distance
Hirers are expected to do routine maintenance on exhibits.

Science Projects is willing to consider exhibition exchange arrangements with other museums and science centres in lieu of all or part of the hire cost.

Exhibits

Vibrating string
A vertical string is linked to a loudspeaker. As you adjust the frequency of the sound the string shows harmonics as standing waves. The wavelengths of different notes can then be seen.

Vibrating Bowl
The water in this Chinese brass bowl vibrates and leaps up in a spray when the handles are gently rubbed.

Pressure wave
Push a knob to send a pressure wave down a slinky spring - this is similar to the way sound travels in air.

Speech stretcher
An electronic device stores your message and reproduces it at different speeds - compressing or stretching the sounds.

Delay phone
Speak into a microphone connected to an electronic circuit which plays back your voice after a short delay. Most people find it impossible to continue speaking.

Light lyre
Instead of strings this lyre has infrared light beams which, when plucked, produce the notes.

Bucket radio
A radio with a small metal peg instead of a speaker can barely be heard. The sound is dramatically increased when the visitor places a bucket on the peg.

Speech patterns
Speak into a microphone and see the pattern of your voice on a computer screen.

Theramin
This was the first music synthesiser to be invented. Play a tune by waving your hands close to two aerials.

Hearing tester
Find out how high a frequency you can hear. Shown with giant model of an ear.

Artificial vocal cords
This instrument is normally used by people who have had their vocal cords removed but it helps visitors understand how speech is made. Shown with giant model of larynx.

Ear clangers
A metal grille is suspended from wires attached to headphones. Tap the grilles to hear how well sound travels through metal.

Phone a friend
Speak to a friend through a long tube. This shows how well sound travels round corners.

Sound or music?
Try playing two wooden drums, one solid and one hollow, and also two glockenspiels, one with the bars damped, to investigate how musical sounds are made.

Tea chest bass
Try playing this traditional instrument.

Sound illusion
This illusion tricks your brain as the sound appears to go higher and higher endlessly.

For further information

Use our enquiry form or contact:

Sheila Snowden
Tel 020 8741 2305/6
E-mail sheila@science-projects.org