Paper Experiment

Science experiment:

Question: What will happen to the sound if I change the shape of a piece of paper? (e.g. from a flat shape to a funnel shape)

Links to research about Sound:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/10023010/Government-boost-cochlear-funding http://news.discovery.com/animals/insects/largest-archive-of-animal-sounds-now-available-online-130116.htm http://www.animalechoes.com/ http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/which-animal-has-most-extreme-sense-hearing http://largestfastestsmartest.co.uk/animals-with-the-best-sense-of-hearing-in-the-world/

Hypothesis: (What do you think will happen?) e.g. I think if the paper is all funnelled up it will be sound loud if your partner is talking from the front but if it is sideways it will sound a bit less louder! But if the paper is rolled up I think it will sound like its from far away and if its flat it will sound normal!

Materials needed:

Paper and Sellotape also cotton/tissue

Experiment (procedure):

e.g. Step 1 - Hold a flat piece of paper against your ear and block the other ear with your hand. Then get you partner to talk and you listen for how it sounds like.....Can you hear properly?

Step 2 - Then, roll the flat paper into a funnel shape. Put the funnel against your ear then face the funnel towards your partner and listen to them speak! What does it sound like now?

Step 3 -  Next, let your partner speak to your face but leave the funnel on your ear to see what it sound like now....Does it sound different than before??!!

Step 4 - Put a cotton ball/tissue into the funnel piece of paper and then listen to your partner if you can hear clearly. Is there a difference?

Step 5 - Roll the paper up and face one end of the paper roll towards your partner. Listen to your partner. Is there a difference to the sound you hear?

Step 6 - Finally, turn to the side with your paper roll and listen to your partner speak. What does it sound like now?

Data (What happened?)

	Shape/object/materials	Results:
1	flat piece of paper	It just sounds normal, it didn’t make any differences
2	funnel facing towards your partner while they speak	The sound is really loud
3	funnel facing away from your partner (opposite side)	Its less louder from facing the front
4	tissue or cotton blocking the narrow end of the funnel	It is loud but sounds like something is blocking my ear!
5	rolled up piece of paper (facing to the front)	Loud just like when the paper is all funnelled up
6	rolled up piece of paper (facing to the side)	Less louder than before

Observations:

When it was a flat piece of paper, it sounds normal as usual

Funnel facing towards your partner while they speak, its actually really loud

As soon as the funnel is facing away from your partner (opposite side), it is less louder than facing it frontwards

If the tissue is tissue is blocking the narrow end of the funnel, its less louder from facing the front

A rolled up piece of paper (facing to the front) is quite loud just like when the paper is all funnelled up

Rolled up piece of paper (facing to the side) is less louder than before

Conclusion:

My hypothesis was right because the sound of the paper when it was straight it sounded normal and when it was funnelled up it was loud, very loud!