| Wire clothes hangers are used for a variety crafts | | | | perform the experiment. |
| and experiments, but for this experiment a plastic | | | | The rubber band should be clenched between the |
| hanger will suffice. If you have already made a switch | | | | teeth and stretched down with one hand. A child can |
| to plastic for your children's clothes hangers, then this | | | | then gently pluck the rubber band with the other |
| is a great exercise that will not damage a good | | | | hand, similar to an upright bass. It is important not to |
| hanger and will encourage a fascination with science. | | | | bite the rubber band to hard, or to stretch the |
| By following these instructions, a classroom or just a | | | | rubber band too much. This can be done by done by |
| parent and child can touch on the basic principles of | | | | an adult instead, or one child can hold the |
| sound production while also using a little creativity. | | | | outstretched rubber band while another one plucks. |
| Gathering the materials can be a fun for the kids, or | | | | The experiment will still work without using teeth, but |
| they can be collected ahead of time (depending on | | | | the vibration is greater due to the solid surface of |
| time and the number of children). You will need a | | | | the teeth. Continue to pluck the rubber band near |
| clean, strong rubber band, some glue, a plastic clothes | | | | the center of the formation of cereal puffs. |
| hanger, some thread, and a dozen or so pieces of | | | | As the rubber band is plucked, it vibrates. This can be |
| dry puff cereal like Captain Crunch or Cocoa Puffs. If | | | | observed on the rubber band, but as you continue, |
| your kids have a favorite cereal, use that one and | | | | the cereal pieces also begin to move. As the nearest |
| the activity can double as a little snack. | | | | piece of cereal moves more, the other pieces |
| Take the thread and cut a dozen pieces of about | | | | nearest begin to do the same. None of these things |
| twelve inches in length. If your kids are doing the | | | | are touching, and there is no force that can be seen, |
| cutting, it is a good idea to have one piece already | | | | yet the vibration of the rubber band is causing the |
| cut for them to compare with, rather than needing | | | | cereal to move. The vibrating rubber band is |
| to measure each piece. After all of the thread is cut, | | | | producing sound waves in the air, which affect the |
| glue the pieces of cereal to one end of the each | | | | cereal puffs. All sounds are made up of these invisible |
| piece. You may try tying the pieces as well, but this | | | | vibrations traveling through air, liquid, or solids and |
| may be difficult depending on the type of cereal. | | | | reaching our ear drum. Much like the pieces of cereal, |
| Tying the pieces might also make the lengths of | | | | our ear drum and the small hairs inside our ear are |
| thread more uneven, and the experiment works | | | | also moved by vibrations. Our brain then calculates |
| better with equal lengths. Next, you should tie the | | | | the speed and strength of the vibrations to help us |
| other end of thread pieces to the bottom bar of the | | | | understand what is causing the vibration, and that is |
| hanger. Once all of the pieces have been tied, hang | | | | how we perceive sound. |
| the hanger on a stable object such as a chair back, | | | | Sounds are simply creations of our brain, telling us the |
| closet rod, or table. Slide the different pieces of | | | | kinds of vibrations that are coming into our ears. The |
| thread up and down the hanger so that the cereal | | | | world is full of complicated vibrations of every type |
| pieces are hanging at equal distance from each other. | | | | that create the many amazing sounds we hear every |
| The closer they are, the better, but there should still | | | | day, and this little experiment with a clothes hanger |
| be some space between each one. Give the cereal a | | | | will help kids understand a little more about where |
| few moments to hang freely so that it becomes | | | | sound really comes from. |
| motionless, and get ready with the rubber band to | | | | |