singing spoons experiment

Ringing Spoons: Sound science using 2 simple household objects

Did you know you could do a simple science experiment with just a couple of household items to demonstrate how sound travels as a vibration?

Teaching your child about sound science adds a visual aspect to how our ears and brains interpret sound through vibration. The ringing spoon experiment allows them to control the vibration of the spoon and hear the results in the string or yarn attached to it.

Sound can be a challenging topic to talk about with your kids because, unlike the other senses, sound is tough to visualize. By showing sound through vibration (and actually witnessing a vibrating spoon!), it is easier to see how sound travels to our ears.

How to make the Ringing Spoons science experiment

Supplies you will need.

For the Ringing Spoons experiment, you’ll need the following:

• Metal spoon

Here’s a good kid’s book about the five senses that you can use to accompany this experiment!

Before you start

You will need a hard object nearby to hit the metal spoon. We used a table. You could also just use another metal utensil to hit your spoon.

Instructions

Here is how to do the Ringing Spoons science experiment:

Step 1: Cut a piece of yarn about 3 feet long

The yarn should be long enough to tie a knot around the spoon, the ends of the yarn reaching their ears, and leave it loosely hanging near their stomach.

Step 2: Find halfway point of yarn and tie a knot around the spoon

The spoon will be dangling at the end of yarn while they hold the two ends of the yarn up to their ears. You will need to tie a knot that will not allow the spoon to fall out.

Get your child involved : If you have taught your child simple fractions , use this opportunity to demonstrate the halfway point to them!

Step 3: Hold the ends of the yarn up to ears

The less you are holding onto the yarn, but better the results of this experiment. This allows more vibration from the spoon to make its way to the ears and more sound.

We ended up just using an index finger and thumb to hold the string to her ears (instead of holding it with the entire hand).

Get your child involved : Allow your child to start off the experiment by holding the yarn. What do they hear?

Step 4: Hit the spoon against a hard surface

We hit the spoon against the side of a table to start the vibration.

When you hit the spoon against a hard surface, be sure to swing the spoon from the string and quickly let go. If you hold onto the spoon, your hand will begin to absorb some of the vibrations and it will be more difficult to hear the sound.

Get your child involved : Have your child be the one who initiates the vibration after they have experienced the experiment themselves. Can they see the spoon vibrating?

The science behind the Ringing Spoon science experiment

This experiment teaches:

How vibrations travel to our ears

Traveling vibration, how it works.

The human ear and brain interpret sound by their vibration. In this experiment, we are creating a vibration by hitting a spoon against a hard surface, causing it to vibrate.

That vibration travels up the yarn and into our ears, creating a reverberating sound!

Sound originates at a point from a strum, tap, or disturbance, which causes a vibration to travel through the air. Our ears detect that vibration through changes in pressure, whether it’s more pressure or less pressure in the air.

Those fluctuations in pressure make up a vibration, and our ears interpret that vibration as sound.

As we get farther and farther from the source of the vibration, the intensity of the sound drops rapidly.

We can easily test this out in this experiment by cutting the length of the yarn so the spoon is closer to our ears. It may be hard to detect, depending on how long the yarn was originally, but there should be a difference in the intensity!

In this experiment, we are creating a vibration by hitting the spoon on a hard surface. In normal circumstances, that vibration travels through the air and into our ears as a specific sound.

That will still be the case when we hit the spoon against the hard surface, but we will also hear a somewhat different sound as the vibration travels up the string or yarn and into our ears.

During your experiment, try to find the difference in sound between the string in your ear as you tap the spoon and the string removed from your ear.

Resonance is defined as one object vibrating at the same natural frequency as a second object forcing that second object into vibrational motion.

In our experiment, when we hit the spoon against the table, we are causing it to vibrate. Those vibrations are sent up the yarn and into our ears, creating a sound from the vibration.

Questions to ask while experimenting

• How does the sound from tapping the spoon sound differently when the yarn is in your ear versus when it is not in your ear?
• Is there a difference in sound when we cut the string, so the spoon is closer to your ear?

More physics experiments to try out with your child

• Musical Water Glasses: making beautiful sounds through vibration
• Sink or Float: an experiment to learn about density with household objects
• Dancing Rice: visualizing sound through vibration using rice and a speaker

FAQ about the Ringing Spoon sound science experiment

Why is the sound different when holding the string in my ears versus not.

Since molecules inside a solid (like our yarn) are packed together much closer than molecules in a gas (like the air), it is much easier for vibration to travel through a solid. Therefore, sound travels faster and fuller through our yarn than it does through the air!

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Singing Spoon Dry Ice Experiment

The singing spoon dry ice experiment is a simple science project that illustrates the concepts of sublimation and Bernoulli’s principle. Touching a metal spoon to dry ice makes the spoon sing or scream. Here’s what you do and a look at how it works.

Singing Spoon Materials

Basically, all you need is dry ice and a spoon. If you have metal tongs for handling the dry ice, those work too.

• Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide)
• Metal spoon or tongs
• Cup of hot water (optional).

Make the Spoon Sing

Press the spoon against a piece of dry ice. The spoon vibrates against the dry ice, producing a sound describing as singing, screaming, or shrieking. Warming the spoon by dipping it in hot water enhances the effect because the hot metal increases the rate of dry ice sublimation.

How the Singing Spoon Works

The singing spoon’s “song” comes from rapid pressure oscillations. Reeds in woodwind musical instruments produce sound basically the same way. Similarly, pressure oscillations cause the sizzle of water droplets flicked onto a hot pan.

The metal of the spoon is a good thermal conductor. So, when you press it against the dry ice it imparts of lot of thermal energy. This increases the rate of dry ice sublimation, which is the phase change from solid carbon dioxide directly into carbon dioxide gas . Gas pressure pushes the spoon away from the dry ice. According to Bernoulli’s principle, increasing the rate of gas flow decreases its pressure. As pressure decreases, the spoon drops back onto the dry ice surface. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide flows around the spoon at varying speeds. The pressure changes occur so rapidly that the oscillation makes an audible sound.

The Screaming Coin

A related dry ice project is the screaming coin. Put on gloves or use a dish towel to insulate your hands. Press a quarter or other coin into a chunk of dry ice. Does the coin continue to scream if you simply set it on top of the dry ice? (The answer is yes, but it’s not as loud.)

Turn It Into an Experiment

Once you observe the singing spoon in action, turn it into a science experiment. Using your observations, make predictions about what will happen if you make changes to the project. Test your hypothesis with an experiment.

• What happens if you change the composition of the spoon? For example, how well does a wooden spoon sing? See if you can explain your results. Hint: Consider the thermal conductivity of different materials.
• On a related “note,” do spoons made of different metals sing with the same pitch?
• Does the shape of the metal have an effect? Hint: Changing shape may change surface area in contact with the dry ice.
• Batchelor, G.K. (2000). An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-66396-0.
• Häring, Heinz-Wolfgang (2008).  Industrial Gases Processing . Christine Ahner. Wiley-VCH. ISBN 978-3-527-31685-4.
• Housecroft, Catherine; Sharpe, Alan G. (2001).  Inorganic Chemistry . Harlow: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-582-31080-3.

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Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

Sound Experiments

This science unit is so fun. It’s loaded with my favorite sound experiments, like this one. I first saw this idea in a library book and, to be honest, I didn’t expect it to be that big of a deal (or even work, if I’m still being honest). But to my surprise, it actually delivered. I think I suffer from Pinterest-Fail PTSD.

Singing Spoons  is a fun way to show kids how volume and pitch change depending on whether sound waves are traveling through the air or through a solid, similar to the way a stethoscope works. It’s one of our favorite sound experiments and is pretty easy to set up. Just use tape to connect three metal spoons to a piece of string or yarn. Then, jiggle the string so the spoons swing into one another and observe the sound they make. It should sound dull and tinny. Next, wrap the ends of the string around your fingers as if you were going to floss your teeth. Place only the yarn-wrapped fingers in your ears (again, think of a stethoscope) and swing the spoons again. Notice how the pitch and volume change.

Even the adults in my house thought this was cool. And one of them is fairly hard to impress.😉

This experiment can easily be done without these sheets👇, but I like reading procedural and informational texts with my students and I also like having a place for them to record their own ideas during investigations.

More Sound Experiments

Hands down, the most satisfying part of planning this science unit was finally engineering a harmonica that actually works! I’m not exaggerating when I tell you how much we were geeking out over this one… maybe because it was our third attempt. But I guess that’s the nature of science experiments, right? In the one pictured below, changing the distance between the pink straws changes the pitch of the sound. Shorten the gap and the pitch will rise. Spread them back out and the sound will become lower. It’s all about vibrations and sound waves .

And the bee?🐝 If you swing it like a lasso above your head, it really does buzz! It’s another fun way to teach your students that vibrations cause sound.

I created student recording sheets for these sound experiments, as well as procedural posters (with picture support) and kid-friendly explanation sheets. These explanations help young children understand the science they’re observing, but I also like how they give families an age-appropriate context to build from when they want to talk to their kids about science.

Making a sound wave model takes some time, but the wow factor can’t be denied! You only need three things to make your model: duct tape, wooden skewers, and clay.  NOTE:  To save time, we built ours using jellybeans, but I think the weight of the clay would provide an even better result. If you use clay, roll each ball to roughly the size of a large grape.

Nonfiction Science Text

I have a hard time finding science material my first-graders can actually read, so it has become my habit to just write our own. It’s a win-win really because then I have a paper copy for each of them. By having their own, we can not only read it together, but the kids can practice it independently and even take it home to share with their families. The books serve double-duty during reading and phonics instruction, too. We can highlight key vocabulary words, find and circle word wall words, and even personalize the interactive pages.

This science book, What Is Sound? , introduces children to the concept of sound and how it behaves. Key science vocabulary such as pitch , volume , vibrate , and echo are emphasized in the text.

Key Vocabulary Posters

There are some pretty BIG words for some pretty young kids in this science unit, so I created a set of posters to help the children understand and remember them. Each poster features the key science term, a colorful graphic, and a kid-friendly definition. The set includes 8 different posters for the following vocabulary words:

• communicate

Key Word Game Cards

Mini-versions of the key word posters have been included in the resource. Originally, I just intended to use them as cards in a “Memory” style game, but they’re also good for student-pairing activities and vocabulary review. There are nine pairs of words in the set: sound, waves, vibrate, volume, pitch, echo, ear, communicate, and loud .

Student Worksheets

I also included some additional worksheets to help support science instruction and provide a connection to other subject areas, such as writing and phonics.

You can preview more of this first grade science unit👉   HERE . It includes printable materials for teaching children the science behind light and sound, as well as how we use both to communicate with others.

Science Ideas on Pinterest

Even though I teased about a Pinterest-Fail at the beginning of this post, I do love Pinterest. (I have discovered though, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.😂) If you’re planning a science unit on the study of light and sound, click over to my Pinterest board:  Light and Sound Science . I’ve added pins that lead to great ideas for supporting your instruction. You’ll find science videos, book suggestions, integrated projects, and more.

Recommended Book List

Check your school or local library for titles to support your science instruction. These are some of the books I’ve used for read-alouds and to help build my own background knowledge as I planned the unit.

• Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer
• How Sound Moves by Sharon Coan
• How Does Sound Change? by Robin Johnson
• Oscar and the Bat by Geoff Waring
• The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
• Sending Messages with Light and Sound by Jennifer Boothroyd

CLICK👇TO PREVIEW THE RESOURCE

LIGHT AND SOUND SCIENCE UNIT

Happy teaching!

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Use Dry Ice to Make a Spoon Sing

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The singing spoon or screaming spoon is the name of a dry ice project in which you cause a spoon to make a singing or screaming sound. Here's how to perform the singing spoon project and an explanation for how it works. You may also watch my video of the singing or screaming spoon.

Singing Spoon Materials

• metal spoon

Make the Spoon "Sing"

• Dip a spoon in hot water.
• Remove the spoon from the water and press the warm spoon against the cold dry ice. The spoon will cause the dry ice to sublimate into carbon dioxide vapor. You'll hear the spoon emit a sharp vibrating sound sort of like it is singing or screaming.

How the Singing Spoon Works

When you press the warm spoon against the dry ice, the sublimation speeds up. The carbon dioxide gas that is released presses against the spoon at the same time you are applying pressure to push the spoon into the dry ice. The oscillations in pressure occur very rapidly, producing sound waves.

Although you'll usually see this demonstration done using a spoon, it works with any metal object . Metal works best because of its high thermal conductivity, but feel free to experiment with other materials.

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Singing Spoon Science Activity

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Whether you’re searching to start your own cover band or are looking for a fun science experiment to do at home, this singing spoon activity is just what you need. (Plus, you likely already have most of the materials needed to get started!)

So, what are we waiting for? Watch the video or follow the directions below to try out this activity on your own.

What You Need:

• Penguin Brand Dry Ice
• Metal spoon
• One cup of hot water
• Protective gloves
• Rubber mallet
• Tea towel or dish towel

Step 1: Carefully, with a mallet or hammer, break the dry ice into smaller cubes.

SAFETY NOTE: To cube your dry ice from a block, wear protective gloves and eyewear, place the dry ice block in a towel, and carefully hit the block with a hammer or mallet. Do not chip at dry ice with a knife or other sharp object.

Step 2: Fill a glass or cup with hot water.

Step 3: Using tongs, move a piece of dry ice onto a solid surface or dish towel.

Step 4: Dip your metal spoon into the glass of warm water. Hold it here for 5-10 seconds to ensure the spoon gets heated up.

Step 5: Remove the spoon from the water and gently press it against the dry ice. This will cause the dry ice to sublimate and release a sound similar to singing or screaming.

Step 6: Enjoy the fun! Repeat steps 4 and 5, moving your spoon in different directions to keep your spoon singing in different keys all afternoon.

BONUS STEP: Place a dry ice cube on a ceramic plate to hear it rattle like a drum, forming an almost complete band!

Safety Notes: Never place dry ice inside airtight containers. Parental supervision is required. Always use gloves and tongs when handling dry ice.

Instagram: @penguindryice Facebook: @dryiceideas Pinterest: Penguin Brand Dry Ice® Twitter: @PenguinDryIce

Related posts

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Top 10 Sound Experiments: Fun & Easy

Sound, an intrinsic part of our lives, is more than just a medium for communication and entertainment. It is a fascinating scientific concept, offering insights into how energy travels and interacts with our environment.

This carefully curated selection is designed for learners of all ages, covering fascinating topics like vibration, sound waves, pitch, and resonance. These hands-on, educational experiments will not only amplify your understanding of the science of sound but also strike a chord with your innate curiosity.

We hope you enjoy this compilation of sound experiments and that it inspires you to continue exploring the wonders of science.

1. How to See Sound Experiment

The How to See Sound experiment is a fascinating way to explore the relationship between sound waves and visual patterns.

The How to See Sound experiment is a fun and insightful experience that is likely to pique your interest, whether you’re a scientific enthusiast, an artist, or just someone who enjoys discovering the wonders of the world around you.

2. Glass Bottle Xylophone

Seeking an innovative and entertaining technique to learn more about the science of sound? With the help of the Glass Bottle Xylophone experiment, students can build their own musical instrument and learn about the fundamentals of sound.

3. Singing Spoons

Do you want to learn more about the science of sound in a playful and imaginative way? Using just a few spoons, the Singing Spoons experiment is a fascinating and fun project that you should try.

4. Make a Straw Oboe

Make your own musical instrument by cutting a straw to a specific length and blowing across the top to create different notes. Experiment with different straw lengths to produce different pitches.

5. Create a Thunder Drum!

Creating a thunder drum is a unique and exciting way to explore the properties of sound and can help students understand these concepts in a more tangible way.

6. Musical Wine Glasses

The musical wine glass experiment is a fun and easy way to explore the science of sound and create your own musical instrument. By filling wine glasses with different amounts of water and tapping them with a spoon, you can produce a range of musical notes and create your own melodies.

7. Tuning Fork Resonance Experiment

The tuning fork experiment is an established representation of how resonance and frequency work in the study of sound.

Students can see and measure the effects of resonance and frequency in this experiment by experimenting with various objects and tuning forks of different frequencies.

A hands-on introduction to the fundamental concepts of sound and waves is provided by this simple yet interesting experiment.

8. The Doppler Effect with Sound

Through the use of sound waves generated by a moving sound source, students can investigate the Doppler effect in this experiment.

Students can learn about the Doppler effect and its use in disciplines like astronomy and radar technology through this exercise in an useful and fascinating way.

9. Soundproofing Experiment 

Students can learn about the science of soundproofing and its importance in building pleasant and effective surroundings through this project, which is a practical and hands-on learning experience.

10. Standing Waves

With the help of this experiment, students can learn about the fundamentals of wave interference and resonance as well as how these ideas are used in real-world situations.

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• 68 Best Chemistry Experiments: Learn About Chemical Reactions
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How to See Sound Science Experiment

What does sound look like? This fun 5-item science experiment helps kids “see” sound waves and have fun while doing it.

In this article, we include a demonstration video, a supplies list, detailed printable instructions, experiment variations, and an easy to understand scientific explanation of how it works.

Bonus: Kids love this experiment because not only are they allowed to make loud drumming noises, it’s required!

JUMP TO SECTION:   Instructions  |  Video Tutorial  |  How it Works

Supplies Needed

• Plastic Wrap
• 1 teaspoon Uncooked Rice
• Metal Pan (Cookie Sheets or Pans are good options, but they must be metal)
• Metal Spoon

How to See Sound Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy How to See Sound Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

How to See Sound Science Experiment Instructions

Step 1 – Tear off a piece of plastic wrap big enough to cover the top of the bowl.

Step 2 – Secure the plastic wrap over the bowl. Make sure that the plastic wrap is very tight.

Step 3 – Pour 1 teaspoon of uncooked rice on the top of the plastic wrap.

Step 4 – Hold the metal pan in the air and position it next to the bowl. What do you think will happen if you hit the pan with the spoon?

Helpful Tip: Remember, the pan must be metal or the experiment won’t work.

Step 5 – Take the metal spoon and bang on the metal pan like a drum and watch what happens to the rice. Write down your observations. Do you know the why the rice moved? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

How to See Sound Science Experiment Step by Step Instructional Video

How Does the Experiment Work?

Sound is a disturbance that travels through a medium as a wave. In this experiment, when you hit the metal pan with the spoon, you disturb the particles of the pan causing them to vibrate. The vibrations in the pan are transferred to the air surrounding the pan, creating a sound wave.

When these sound waves reach the plastic wrap it disturbs the particles of the plastic wrap causing them to vibrate. These vibrations in the plastic wrap cause the rice to move. Sound waves traveling through the air are also what allow us to hear the noise of the spoon hitting the pan.

Other Ideas to Try

Try this experiment again, but change the distance of the pan from the bowl. As you move the pan farther away from the bowl, do the sound waves have the same effect on the rice grains?

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Instructions

• Tear off a piece of plastic wrap big enough to cover the top of the bowl.
• Secure the plastic wrap over the bowl. Make sure that the plastic wrap is very tight.
• Pour 1 teaspoon of uncooked rice on the top of the plastic wrap.
• Hold the metal pan in the air and position it next to the bowl
• Take the metal spoon and bang on the metal pan like a drum and watch what happens to the rice.

Reader Interactions

September 27, 2016 at 2:29 pm

I am trying to see the answer for the “Why can’t we see sound?” but I xan’t find it here. Can you help me, please?

February 2, 2017 at 11:37 pm

Invisible sound waves

May 21, 2019 at 9:57 pm

Sound is a vibration

March 12, 2017 at 10:15 pm

Because when you hit the tin it makes a hard and loud noise.

December 7, 2017 at 2:44 pm

This was an amazing experiment ever

January 31, 2018 at 5:08 pm

It is because the rice is having potential energy while it is on the wrap. Than and only then when you hit the pan is when it turns to kinetic energy.

October 31, 2018 at 8:56 pm

The sound waves bounce off the pan and travel to the drum. The drum vibrates and the rice jumps.

January 26, 2019 at 5:32 pm

Why can’t I get this to work

does the type of plastic wrap matter?

March 9, 2020 at 8:21 pm

it doesn’t work for me too 🙁

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The Science of Waves: Awesome Sound Experiment for Kids

By: Author Jacquie Fisher

Posted on Published: April 16, 2019

Categories Kids Activities & Crafts , Science Experiments

One of the coolest sound wave experiments your kids will ever try!

We love doing simple science experiments and every once in a while, we find a GEM.

It’s a simple, easy and pretty awesome experiment that explores the science of sound waves and how they travel .

Sound Experiment for Kids

So many of the science activities we do are ones that I’ve experienced before but are new to our kids. 

And honestly, as they approach Middle School age, it’s getting harder and harder to impress them 😉

But THIS ONE! 

This is one of those really cool experiments that they thought was super cool and even I was impressed with ( and as my husband will tell you, I’m not easily impressed 😉

I should have titled this “ Make Your Own Gong Using a Spoon and Fork ” — because that’s exactly what you’ll get to do!

Like our How does a Leaf Breathe? experiment , this sound wave project also explores the invisible side of science.

As you begin this vibration experiment, explain to your kids that you are going to test how sound travels. 

They may not realize that when a ‘noise’ is made, it creates sound waves (which are not visible) that travel through the air and to our ears. 

As with any of our experiments, we always start with a good book to help explain the science concepts!

Books about the Science of Sound Waves

Here are a few great books to pair with this activity along with affiliate links so you can easily learn more about each one:

Sounds All Around (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) is part of an amazing science book series that cover all the topics under the sun!  This book explains how sound waves travel, how your ear receives sound and answers for more of the questions kids will ask.

And another fun book, What’s That Sound (Science Solves It! ) has facts & activities related to sound – perfect for kids ages 6 – 10 years old.

Sound Experiments for Kids

You’ll need a few items that I’m sure you can easily find around the house — the affiliate links in our list will give you a quick description of each item:

• A ruler (we found a wooden or heavy plastic ruler worked best)
• Two different size spoons (try using a teaspoon and a serving spoon )
• About 4 feet of string or yarn (this will depend on how tall you are as you can see below)

First, create a loop in the middle of the yarn/string and insert the handle of the spoon. 

Pull tightly so that the spoon hangs in the center of the yarn/string and you have two long pieces of approximately equal length.

Then make a face at your Mom when she asks to take your photo ( this is an optional step, of course ) 🙂

Take each string and wrap them around your pointer finger on each hand. 

Then push the string against each ear (not into the ear but just outside like you are going to plug your ears because you don’t want to hear your Mom ask you to do your chores 🙂 

You’ll want the spoon to hang just below the waist once both ends of the yarn are placed near the ears.

You can see in this photo that you don’t have to use the end of each piece of yarn/string — in fact, as you do the experiment, change how high or low the spoon hangs to see if it changes the sound.

Ok, here’s the big moment …

Once the string in pushed against the ears, have someone GENTLY hit the ruler against the round part of the spoon — and watch the look on your child’s face (priceless!)

Warning : Kids often think that the HARDER they hit the spoon, the louder the sound — be sure to test out this theory too!

If you are using a small spoon, you should hear a distinct bell sound — with a larger spoon, it will sound more like a gong.

Pretty cool!

The Science Behind Sound Wave Experiments

Here’s what’s really happening during the activity — I’ve highlighted some of the science terms that you can introduce to kids when discussing this experiment:

When the ruler hits the spoon, it creates vibrations which make sound waves.  These sound waves travel up the yarn/string and to the ear instead of just spreading out into the air around you.

The yarn acts as a conductor — an object that allows sound waves to travel.

Depending on the size of the spoon and the length of yarn, the sound will appear higher (like a church bell) or deeper (like a gong).

And because the yarn allows the sound waves to continue to travel, the sound of the spoon will resonate or reverberate — meaning they will continue for a while after you have hit the spoon.

Another thing we found was that the only one who can hear the bell or gong sound will be the person with the string near their ears — which we thought was also pretty cool. 

Everyone else in the room will just hear a faint ‘tink’ when the ruler hits the spoon.

More Ideas for Sound Experiments

Ok, we wanted to play around with the experiment a little more — so we also used a serving fork (which is larger than a regular fork).

Do this too and you’ll see that the tines on the fork create a totally different sound.

You can also try different types of yarn/string — you’ll find that the more dense the string, the better the sound will travel.

For more sound wave experiments, try

• the Geeker Speaker Lab Kit which shows you how to make sound waves visible with 5 different experiments!
• the Science of Sound box from Steve Spangler includes up to 10 sound experiments kids can do !

And don’t forget to see all of our simple science experiments!

If you’re looking for more ideas that explore sound waves, try these items:

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27 Simple Science Experiments  

Dry ice + spoons

Follow FizzicsEd 150 Science Experiments:

You will need:

• Dry ice pellets
• 2 metal spoons

• Instruction
• Video Instruction

Place a pellet of dry ice on a spoon.

Place another spoon on top of the other spoon, resting on top of the dry ice pellet.

Gently squeeze the two spoons together as if they were BBQ tongs.

With the right pressure they should begin to vibrate and squeal!

Get the Unit of Work on States of Matter here!

• What are the different states of matter?
• How does heat affect the size of materials?
• How does liquid nitrogen affect materials and much more!

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What is going on?

Dry ice sublimates, meaning it changes from a solid to a gas without the liquid phase. Trapping the dry ice between two spoons creates a squealing sound due to the gas pushing against the spoons as it expands. The faster the spoons vibrate the higher the pitch.

Variables to test

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• Does the pitch change with the size of spoons?
• What if you use forks instead?
• Try plastic spoons, do they work?

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Fizzics Education curated a thoughtful and hands-on experience for the children, incorporating practical, skill-based learning activities and followed by a science presentation at the end of the event involving liquid nitrogen. This was delivered safely and effectively, capturing both the children and the parents for the duration of the presentation.

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Experiment with sound waves.

Every time a sound is produced it emits a sound wave. You can picture the shape of sound as a wave on the ocean: the sound starts at one end of the wave and spreads out. By the time the wave reaches the shore you can hear it.

For a home example of this phenomenon, take a rubber band and spread it tightly between your fingers. Now strum the rubber band. The movement of the band creates vibration, or sound waves. This experiment will demonstrate how sound travels, using nothing more than a spoon and a string.

What You Need:

• Metal spoon
• 30 inches of kite string (40 inches for an adult)

What You Do:

• Tie the handle of the spoon at the midpoint of the string.
• Wrap the ends of the string around your index fingers (pointer fingers).
• Place your fingers in your ears.
• Lean over so that spoon hangs freely and swing the spoon so it taps against a door.
• Hit the door again, this time harder.

What did you hear? Was it a soft sound like a bell, and then a louder sound like a church bell? The sound came because the spoon vibrated, causing sound waves to travel up the string and into your ears. The loudness or quietness of the sound depends on the amplitude (height of the wave).

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French Egg Dishes You Need To Try At Least Once In Your Life

France's cuisine is nothing if not extra, from flambés to fricassés, and boasting more than enough rich sauces to make your cardiologist pass out. But while the French dishes that come to the minds of most are usually the showstoppers, such as crêpes suzette or sole meunière, it turns out French chefs are also blessed with a particular talent for transforming even the humblest of ingredients into something extraordinary.

Take, for example, the egg. A stalwart staple of kitchens around the world, eggs are a simple, relatively inexpensive protein source that is quickly transformed into a straightforward meal. But in the hands of a French chef, eggs get major star treatment. From the wow-worthy appeal of eggs drowning in a red wine sauce or set in aspic, to the technical acuity that makes simple creations like egg-mayonnaise or omelets so special, here are the French egg dishes you'd do well to get to know.

Egg-mayonnaise

Egg-mayonnaise is little more than the sum of its namesake parts — eggs and mayonnaise — and yet it's such a beloved bistro staple in France that an association has been established to protect it and awards a prize to the best egg-mayonnaise each year. Suffice it to say, people have got strong opinions about what makes egg-mayo magnifique . 

A good egg-mayonnaise should, of course, be made with homemade mayonnaise , preferably one that's been generously spiked with Dijon mustard. The mayonnaise should be applied generously to three halves of hard-boiled egg, which are typically placed face-down on the plate, though some chefs put them face-up to show off the yellow yolks. 

The eggs themselves can be a point of contention, as  the perfect hard-boiled eggs often are. While most agree that the ideal hard-boiled egg should be fully set but never chalky — and certainly not without a grey ring around its center indicating serious overcooking — experts are divided on how to get there. Start in cold water or water that's already boiling? Cook them at a full boil or merely let them sit in the boiled water? Most pro chefs prefer to bring the water to a boil before adding the eggs and then cooking them at a full boil, as this method is more fool-proof, regardless of how many eggs you're cooking. But feel free to experiment at home to get the œuf parfait you desire.

Œufs brouillés

French œufs brouillés are so much more than a fancier (and far more difficult) way of saying scrambled eggs. For one, œufs brouillés are not a breakfast food. The French are famously fans of a small, sweet breakfast, with eggs relegated to lunchtime or even a quick-and-easy dinner. And that's not the only factor separating them from an American scramble.

In the U.S., scrambled eggs tend to be cooked fast and hot, diner-style, either on a flat-top griddle or in a frying pan. French œufs brouillés, on the contrary, require gentle coaxing to reach custardy perfection. Jamie Oliver cooks his over a bain-marie, for indirect heat that results in far moister curds of egg. Gordon Ramsay's scrambled egg technique is similar, requiring the cook pull the pan off the heat at times to keep the eggs from cooking too quickly. A touch of good French butter and crème fraîche make these eggs all the more luxurious.

Much like scrambled eggs, French omelets are a lunchtime food. But unlike œufs brouillés, which some may see as a scramble's more luxurious cousin, a French omelet is generally far more demure than the loaded diner omelets you'll find Stateside. While it is indeed sometimes filled, with mushrooms, cheese, or even topped with luxurious truffle, the most classic among them are seasoned simply with a blend of fresh herbs.

So what makes a French omelet stand out? The technique. As opposed to American-style omelets , French omelets are typically cooked gently on one side, until the interior is just barely set but still moist and baveuse (a word that literally translates to "drooling"), with the exterior still pale. At this point, the omelet is rolled around itself — a technique that requires a bit of dexterity to learn. Jacques Pepin shows viewers how to use a fork to bring up one edge of the omelet, at which point the handle of the pan should be banged slightly to bring the other edge in. It takes a bit of work to get it quite right, but practice will deliver the perfect, pillowy morsel of eggy goodness.

In France, a French kiss is attributed instead to Florence, Italy, while French fries become simply pommes frites , meaning fried potatoes. Meanwhile French toast, a classic of brunch menus around the world, is known as pain perdu,   or lost bread. The French name of this eggy, custardy marvel reckons with its roots in austerity: To take bread from the day before, so stale it was deemed "lost," and soak it in a custard to render it more palatable may well be one of the most delightful ways of getting around food waste we've ever seen. 

There are far more dishes that fall under the term pain perdu than the recipe we think of as French toast. All that's required is to soak stale bread in an eggy custard. From there, it may be sweetened with sugar and vanilla or take on a savory slant, in the manner of a strata or savory bread pudding. While most French people making French toast at home start with whatever bread is hanging around in the bread box, you can make your pain perdu particularly luxurious by beginning with slices of buttery brioche or even day-old croissants.

Œufs en meurette

Lovers of the Burgundian classic known as  beef bourguignon are sure to fall head over heels in love with œufs en meurette, a dish of poached eggs served in a similarly rich red wine sauce. The similarities between the two are no accident: Not only does œufs en meurette   also hail from Burgundy, but it was likely a means of using up the rich, red wine gravy left behind after all of the beef had been eaten.

That said, you don't need to slow-simmer a beef stew to make  œufs en meurette.  Instead, a base of bacon, shallots, garlic, mushrooms, and pearl onions can be simmered in red wine and beef stock to lend some rich moreishness of the slow-cooked gravy. Once thickened, the sauce is topped with perfectly poached eggs . It's a dish best served in deep bowls or ramekins and accompanied with loads of crusty bread to soak up every last bite of that luscious sauce.

Eggs en cocotte

Eggs en cocotte could seem like a fancy way of saying baked eggs, but this French specialty stands out with to its reference to a cocotte — the baking vessel used to make the dish. A cocotte is an enamel-coated cast-iron pot with a lid. Given the ability of cast iron to retain heat, the cocotte is a particularly good vessel for slowly cooking eggs until they become creamy and luxurious, rather than set on the outside and still raw within. As compared to similar dishes like shirred eggs, œufs en cocotte also stands out in that it relies on an additional precaution to ensure you get the ideal texture: a water bath. As with other delicate mixtures, like cheesecakes, placing the cocotte in a water bath helps the eggs cook slowly and evenly. 

You can flavor your eggs en cocotte with all manner of accouterments and toppings, from veggies to meat, but to reap the full textural benefits of this technique, simple may well be best: A bit of butter, some fresh herbs, a drizzle of cream ... and pourquoi pas a touch of cheese. We are in France, after all.

Quiche lorraine

Famously not pronounced "quickie," a quiche is a savory pie filled with a set custard, to which can be added all manner of fillings, from salmon and spinach to blue cheese and squash. But among quiches, perhaps the most famous is the quiche Lorraine , hailing from the French Lorraine region, on the border between France and Germany. The pie likely got its start as a humble farmstead dish, made with ingredients most farmers would have had on-hand: Eggs, cream, and bacon. While these days, some add cheese, this technically isn't a part of the original recipe, and traditionalists tend to eschew it.

If the quiche has expanded so far outside of its region of origin, we have refugees to thank. During the Franco-Prussian war in the 19th century, many locals of Lorraine fled the region in favor of Paris, bringing with them all sorts of local recipes from sauerkraut to beer. Once in the capital, they opened brasseries (the French word for brewery), which today have come to be known for serving hearty fare, including quiche.

Croque madame

A croque monsieur is a bistro classic par excellence. This French-style grilled cheese places ham and cheese between two slices of bread — typically classic sandwich bread, although some prefer sourdough, like the kind made from three-generations-strong Parisian bakery Poilâne. Béchamel sauce is generously slathered on top of the sandwich, which is topped with even more grated cheese before being broiled until crispy and browned.

The croque madame , meanwhile, takes things one step further and gilds the already rich lily with a perfectly fried egg. As for how it came to be known as a madame, the egg is said to resemble a wide-brimmed hat — the sort of hat ladies wore at the turn of the 20th century, when the sandwich first began showing up on menus. Once the yolk of the egg is pierced, it becomes a second sauce for the sandwich, which is perfectly paired with Dijon mustard to balance out the double dose of richness.

Salade Lyonnaise

Even French salads are extra, as the delicious concoction known as the salade Lyonnaise proves well. This salad is technically a member of the salade composée category, seeing as in France, une salade contains one main ingredient: salade aka lettuce. A "composed" salad, meanwhile, can contain multiple components. This one, as its name suggests, hails from Lyon, perhaps France's foremost culinary capital — especially insofar as it concerns charcuterie. It should come as no surprise, then, that it contains quite a bit of bacon in addition to the bitter frisée lettuce that lends it its other name, frisée-lardons, with lardon referring to the matchsticks of bacon.

While the egg isn't in the title of this recipe, it's an essential component uniting the other elements. The salad is crowned with a perfectly poached egg, so that when the yolk breaks, it emulsifies with the mustardy vinaigrette to coat every leaf of sturdy, bitter frisée. It's no surprise that Stateside, where savory breakfasts are the norm, it's a firm contender for king of the breakfast salads.

Salade Niçoise

Another classic French salade composée, this time hailing from Nice, is the salade Niçoise — and purists might gripe with it being included on this list. Indeed, in its purest form, a salade Niçoise contains very few of the ingredients most cooks have come to associate with it, from potatoes to green beans to eggs. Indeed, the original salade Niçoise was made with just three ingredients — tomatoes, anchovies, and oil — though it was not this version that Renée Graglia, former president of the Cercle de la Capelina d'Or which seeks to defend Nice's traditional recipes, defended tooth and nail. The Cercle's official recipe includes tomatoes, anchovies, tuna, olives, and basil, with an allowance for raw broad beans, artichokes or green peppers. But while it precludes the use of the potatoes that even Anthony Bourdain's salade Niçoise included, it does allow for hard-boiled eggs.

These days, most salade Niçoise recipes combine two kinds of fish — tuna and anchovies — with summer produce like tomatoes and green beans. Potatoes or rice might add bulk, and olives or red onion a lovely brininess. An olive oil dressing and a few quarters of hard-boiled egg complete the salad nicely.

Œuf en gelée

Oeuf en gelée may be a slightly old-fashioned recipe, but it's worthy of inclusion on this list thanks to how delightfully fussy it is. This dish of eggs set in aspic sees a soft-boiled egg set in beef jelly and paired with all manner of ingredients ranging from smoked ox tongue to ham to kale and mushrooms. It makes for a particularly pretty appetizer, especially when garnished with fresh herbs.

While you certainly can make œuf en gelée at home — and there's no shortage of French recipes showing you how to do just that — the reality is that most French people looking to enjoy this retro treat instead seek them out at a charcutier, a specialist in the art of cooked and cured meat you'll find all over France. Here, alongside more typical saucissons and pâtés, you'll find plenty of creations like œuf en gelée or pig's tongue terrine presented like the works of charcuterie art they are.

There may be no French egg dish more storied or epic than the soufflé. This dish, whose name comes from the French word souffle, meaning "breath," is a puff of airy egg made by beating egg whites to stiff peaks. When carefully folded into the batter, this technique introduces perhaps the most essential ingredient: air. The soufflés are then carefully baked until they have risen into eggy clouds, and they must be served immediately, lest they fall into a gooey mess.

Ostensibly invented by Paris' very first restaurateur in the 18th century, soufflés these days can be made in versions both savory and sweet. While the very first soufflé was apparently made with potatoes, today, lobster or cheese soufflés make the perfect main. A chocolate or classic Grand Marnier soufflé, meanwhile, is the ideal dessert, with the latter often served with a small glass of the orange-scented liqueur, which diners can pour into a small well created in the dessert with a spoon to impart even more flavor.