Student Preconceptions of Sound
As we teach we find that students have beliefs about sound that are not quite true. We call these misconceptions but it is more accurate to call them preconceptions. Learners often jump to incorrect conclusions. We find those jumps to be a natural part of the process of learning about science.
The ten most common misconceptions, or preconceptions, regarding sound are listed below.
Question:
How do we draw a sound wave?
Answer:
When we visualize a wave we often visualize a horizontal line with multiple curves. That is common with our students also. However, to visualize a sound wave we must imagine the molecules that are present in the air, or gas, liquids, and solids. Sound is created by a force that pushes those molecules into one another. We can visualize sound traveling in a series of waves that are shaped like a circle, or a portion of a circle, an arc, with empty spaces in between them where there is no sound because temporarily there are no molecules. The molecules that were once there have been pushed into other molecules leaving a temporary space.
Question:
Can you hear sounds in space?
Answer:
No, you cannot hear sound in space. Space is a vacuum. There are no molecules of air.