In this activity children investigate how the pitch of the buzz from a twanged ruler can be changed and relate this to the sound of mosquito wings.
Description
Robin Meier, a Swiss artist, has created an interactive sound installation. A computer generates a sound and three mosquitoes then tune their buzz to match the pitch.
Children will investigate how the pitch of the buzz from a twanged ruler can be changed and will relate this to the sound created by the wings of the mosquito.
Learning Objective:
- setting up simple comparative tests to see how the length of the ruler affects the pitch of the buzz
- using results to draw simple conclusions about how the pitch of the buzz from a ruler can be changed
- to find patterns linking the pitch of the sound produced by a twanged ruler and its length
These resources were initially developed in partnership with the Centre for Science Education, Sheffield Hallam University.