Use simple household items to make a musical instrument.
What you need:
- One large elastic band
- Two small elastic bands
- Two large lollipop (popsicle) sticks
- Two straws
- Scissors
How to:
This video shows how you can make a sound sandwich:
Ask an adult for help with using scissors.
- Cut the tops off both the straws - just before the bend.
- Stretch the large rubber band lengthwise across the lollipop
stick.
- Place one of the straws about a third of the way down the
lollipop stick, underneath the large elastic band.
- Put the other lollipop stick on top - like a sandwich! Use a
small elastic band to hold the lollipop sticks together at the
end.
- Place the second straw around a third of the way down the
lollipop stick at the opposite end. This time, put it on
top of the large elastic band.
- Use the second elastic band to hold the end of the lollipop
sticks together.
Now you can play your intstrument! Hold the sound sandwich to
your mouth and blow.
Playing the sound
sandwich
What can you hear? Can you make different sounds? Try moving the
straws closer together. Does this change the sound?
Try the experiment with different sized rubber bands - long,
short, thick and thin. You could make your own sound sandwich
orchestra!
What's happening?
When you blow through the sound sandwich, the air vibrates the
elastic band. The vibrations produce a sound.
Large elastic bands vibrate slowly and produce a low-pitched
sound. Shorter elastic bands produce a high-pitched sound. If you
move the straws closer together, you make the elastic band shorter.
This makes the sound more high pitched.
To find out more about sound and hearing, go to Make a
homemade hearing aid.